


Paths

by Techgirl



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-04 11:25:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14591991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Techgirl/pseuds/Techgirl
Summary: How do you keep a distance to someone who is on your exact frequency? When the slightest shift in tune causes your whole world to stumble, making you reach out to still it? To still him from moving in a direction you can't follow?Please note: This story is set in an alternative universe where Brian is married to Lindsay.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by later2nite.

“How do I look?” Lindsay twirled in front of the mirror. Her long dress flowed around her legs, and her high heels clicked on the hardwood floor. 

“Amazing,” Brian said as a matter of routine, not even looking up from the article he was reading. 

“I don’t want to embarrass you.” 

“You couldn’t embarrass me even if you tried.” 

Lindsay smiled, clearly pleased with his answer. Another layer of lipstick and a spray of perfume later, she was ready to take on the art world of downtown Pittsburgh.

“Daddy.”

Brian lowered the magazine and turned his attention to his son. “What’s up, Gus?”

“I want ice cream, but Jennie said I can’t have any unless you say so.” 

“I see.” Brian swept Gus up in his arms even though his son was so tall now that his feet kicked him in the shins. “Let’s go and talk to her.” 

Gus nodded and slid down to the floor. He took Brian’s hand, dragging him into the kitchen. 

“Oh, hi, Mr. Kinney.” Gus’s babysitter beamed at Brian. “I wasn’t sure if you were okay with Gus eating sugar.” 

“Since it’s the weekend, I guess we can break the rules we have on weekdays.” 

Gus walked over to the freezer and stuck his tongue out at Jennie. 

“Gus!” 

Ice cream carton in hand, Gus stopped in his tracks when he heard the harshness in his dad’s voice. Seeing the look on Brian’s face, he blushed and turned to Jennie. “I’m sorry.” 

“No worries! Let me get a bowl for you.” Jennie smiled at Gus before she looked up at Brian. “Your wife said you were going to an art show. That sounds lovely.”

“Art’s boring,” Gus mumbled. 

“Are you hoping to find new paintings for your gallery?” Jennie asked Brian.

“There are a couple of artists I’m interested in.”

“I envy your lifestyle, Mr. Kinney. I’d love to be able to buy whatever I come across.”

“You’re done with school soon, right? You’ll get there.”

“Only one year left now. I can’t wait to actually start living!”

Watching Jennie get carried away in her thoughts and dreams, Brian felt slightly jealous of her youth.

“Brian, do you have everything?” Lindsay asked. 

“Yes.” He bent down to hug Gus and then gave Jennie a peck on the cheek. “Behave, both of you.”

\----------

Lindsay studied the program as they drove into town. “Did you see the beautiful sculpture on the front page?” 

“I did.”

“I really think we should have one in the garden. Maybe we could place it where you can see it when you come up the driveway?”

“It’d look tacky.” 

“Why?”

“Have you ever seen a sculpture in anyone’s garden that didn’t look tacky?”

“I’m putting it on my must-see list for tonight. Maybe it’s exactly what we’re looking for.”

“How could it be when we’re not looking for one?” 

“Don’t be grumpy.” Lindsay tugged at Brian’s hair and ran her nails down his neck. 

He shook her hand away, ignoring her hurt look. “You’re free to do whatever you want with your money.” 

Lindsay blushed. “I talked to Mel this morning, and she assured me that Kinnetik is doing more than fine.” 

“Not very professional of a lawyer to share information about her work with someone outside the company.”

“She’s my best friend!”

“That doesn’t matter. She should know better.”

Riding in silence for awhile, Brian finally turned on the radio and searched through the stations for something to put him in a better mood. He’d pulled himself together by the time they found a parking spot not too far away from the gallery, giving Lindsay a genuine smile before they stepped out of the car.

Lindsay paused for a second to take in the room. Spotting a group of women she’d met at earlier shows, she walked over to them and left Brian to explore the art by himself.

Brian made a beeline for the bar, ordering a beer to take with him as he slowly walked around and looked at the paintings. Passing the sculpture Lindsay had talked so warmly about, he thought it was a nice piece, but there was no way he’d let it anywhere near their house. Moments later, a bright red frame caught his eye. He stepped closer to look at the painting and saw a block of colors that seemed to have been chosen to fit the frame. Together, they made a striking contrast to the rest of the art hanging in the gallery. 

“Mr. Kinney.”

“Frederic.” Brian shook the gallery owner's hand. “I’m impressed with what you’ve put together here.”

“I want you to meet someone. This is Justin Taylor. You’re admiring his painting.”

Brian extended his hand towards the young man. “Your work is exquisite.”

“Thank you! I hope you’ll find that one of my pieces fits into the collection you’re creating.” 

Brian looked at Frederic, who shook his head discreetly. 

“Believe it or not,” Justin said, “the artists in this town do talk to each other on occasion. We’re ecstatic that someone is willing to pay for our work. But don’t worry. We won’t reveal your name to the media since you don’t want to make a big deal out of it.” 

Brian nodded slowly. “I appreciate that.” Realizing he was still holding onto Justin, he let go and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Frederic excused himself. “I have to go stroke the egos of the more nervous artistic souls.”

“I take it you two know each other?” Brian asked when he and Justin were left alone.

“He’s been more than helpful ever since he saw my first show at the LGBT Center many years ago.”

“You’re not one of the nervous ones?”

“I take my work seriously, but this . . .” Justin waved his arm around the gallery. “This is not why I paint. It _is_ important to my agent, though, and I like him, so I show up to schmooze the rich and beautiful masses.” Justin cocked an eyebrow at Brian. “That would be you.”

Brian laughed and finished his beer. “Who’s your agent?”

“Emmett Honeycutt.” 

“Want a drink?” Brian motioned towards the bar. 

“Whiskey.”

Brian looked appreciatively at Justin, ordering for both of them. “From what I understand, Mr. Honeycutt is not the most conventional agent one can have.”

Justin laughed out loud. “He’s certainly not, and I wouldn’t want him any other way. So, Mr. Kinney—” 

“Brian.”

“Brian. Judging from the paintings you purchase, I guess Kinnetik is doing well?”

“You know about my company?”

“The advertising world is in large part similar to the art world, and I find it interesting, if not necessary, to keep up with it. Both are on top of new techniques, brave enough to challenge the way people think and what they react to. You’re one of the best ad execs out there. I’d love to pick your brain someday.”

“Want another drink?”

“Yeah, why not? I guess I have reason to celebrate.”

“Sold many paintings tonight?” Brian gestured for Justin to sit by the bar, handing him another tumbler of whiskey and sinking down beside him. 

“No idea, but I got an offer earlier today to show my art in London.” 

“Will you do it?”

“Emmett would have my balls if I turned them down. I’ll probably have to show up there as well.” Justin’s face scrunched into a pout. “At least for the opening.”

Brian snorted. “You’re really not a people person, are you?”

“Can’t stand most of them.” Justin glanced at Brian. He was probably tonight’s exception. “Are you here with someone?”

“My wife’s over there.” Brian pointed to the group of women walking slowly from painting to painting, apparently engaged in deep discussion about each one. 

“Your wife?”

“Yeah.” Brian flinched as his fingers brushed against Justin’s when they clinked their glasses together. He knocked back his drink after they stared at each other for a second, then he stood up. “Gotta go.”

“It was nice talking to you.” 

Brian leaned down, his mouth close to Justin’s ear. “Later.” 

Justin watched him walk up to the women. They all stopped talking and blushed and giggled at whatever he said. A blonde woman took his hand and molded herself against his chest. “Obvious much?” Justin mumbled, forcing himself to look away. 

“Hey!” 

“Hey.” Justin relaxed when Marcus flopped down in the chair Brian had vacated and ordered the same drink Justin had. “See that tall man over by my part of the wall?”

“Yum. What about him?”

“We talked for awhile, and he bought me two drinks.” 

“And you sent him away because you’re not in the mood for cock?”

“He had to catch up with his wife.” 

“No way!” Marcus stared at Justin. 

“Uh-huh. The blonde one who keeps touching him.” 

“He’s fucking gorgeous. Is he wearing Prada?”

“Probably.” 

“What did you talk about?”

“My art. His company. London.”

“Who is he?”

“Brian Kinney.” 

“ _The_ Brian Kinney?”

“The one and only.” 

“Holy crap! Did he buy any of yours?”

“Looks like it’s up for discussion.” 

Justin and Marcus looked on while the woman tried to get Brian interested in a sculpture. He shook his head and stepped even closer to Justin’s paintings, pointing at one of them. He shook his head again and waved the assistant over when the woman obviously begged him to reconsider.

“Congrats!” Marcus nudged Justin’s arm. “You beat me this time.”

“Wanna get out of here?”

“To Babylon?”

“Sure! I haven’t been there in ages.” Standing up, Justin steadied himself as the alcohol made his head swim. 

“You okay?”

“Yep.”

“Mr. Taylor.” 

Justin closed his eyes for a second then turned to Brian. “Yes?”

“My wife wanted to meet you.” Brian sounded almost apologetic, taking a step to the side.

“I’m Lindsay.” She shook Justin’s hand. “Nice to meet you.” 

“You, too.”

“You’re incredibly talented. I was thrilled when my husband wanted to buy one of your paintings.” 

Marcus huffed out a laugh at her bullshit, Justin loving him even more. 

“This is Marcus Heller, a fellow artist.”

“Are you a painter, too?”

“I made the sculpture your husband turned down.” 

Lindsay swatted at Brian’s shoulder. “I told you we should buy it.” She turned her back to her husband. “Anyway, it was lovely meeting the both of you. Marcus, your technique is wonderful. I have a great interest in your field.”

Justin glanced up at Brian, noticing his dark eyes and slightly parted red lips. They stared at each other until Lindsay took Brian’s hand. 

“We should go home and relieve the babysitter.”

“We’re going to Babylon to dance the night away. His ass looks even better on a crowded dance floor,” Marcus said, nodding at Justin.

Lindsay giggled, and Brian raised an eyebrow at Justin. 

“Come on.” Marcus slung an arm around Justin’s shoulder and pulled him towards the door. 

“Did she say babysitter?”

“Yeah.”

Justin furrowed his brows. “So he’s definitely not gay?” 

“Considering he was eyefucking you, I wouldn’t say definitely. How was it?”

“Not bad. Seriously, though. What the fuck was that?”

“No idea, but we all know you’re irresistible. This just proves that we’re right.”

\----------

Brian shut out Lindsay’s attempts to talk and stared straight ahead, trying to ignore his own thoughts and the pictures flashing before his eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” Lindsay touched his cheek. “Brian?”

“Nothing. Thinking about the painting I bought.” 

“It was beautiful! We’ll just put it in a new frame that’ll fit better with the rest of the collection.” 

“No. I’ll find a way to make it work with the others.” 

“It’d be easier to change just that one.”

“The red frame is staying.” 

Lindsay studied his profile but decided to let it go. 

Brian stepped out of the car the second he turned off the engine. Pretending to search for something in the trunk until Lindsay went in the house, he stood by the car and finished his smoke, going over the conversation he’d had with Justin again. He wasn’t easily intrigued, but something about the artist had his mind racing. 

“Did you find anything you liked?”

Brian jumped when he saw Jennie suddenly standing beside him. “I bought a painting from a local artist.” 

“Cool! I can’t wait to see it.”

He paid her and pecked her cheek again. When he turned around, Lindsay was staring at him from their front door. “What?”

“She’s turned into a lovely young woman.”

“She’s okay.”

“You don’t think she’s beautiful?”

“Would what I think make her more or less beautiful?”

“God, I was just trying to have a conversation with my husband, who apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” Lindsay stomped off without waiting for a reply. 

Brian slowly walked around in his private gallery. Trying to figure out where to hang the bright red frame when it arrived, he finally decided he’d have to take everything down and start arranging all over. Then he went into his office and fired up the computer. Shaking his head in disbelief, he typed “Justin Taylor” in the search bar. Brian bookmarked a couple of articles that popped up to read later and switched over to Image Search, leaning back in his chair while his eyes roamed the pictures in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

Brian groaned in agony as he studied the boards his art department had spent four fucking days coming up with. How hard could it be to follow instructions or even use common sense? “Heads are gonna roll in the morning,” he muttered, looking at the boards from a different angle before he ended up throwing them on the floor. Brian yelled for Cynthia out of habit, then he remembered he’d sent her home hours earlier. Sighing, he put his jacket on and got ready for the drive home.

Ten minutes later, Brian turned right and drove back through the city. Stopping at a red light, he searched through his phone for an address and put it into his GPS, a car honking behind him when the light turned green. Brian flipped the driver off and focused on the driving instructions. 

Ted took a step back in surprise when he opened his front door and met his boss’s stare. “Brian! Uh, do you wanna come in? We’re having friends over for dinner, but you’re welcome to join us.”

“I just need a phone number.”

“Oh, my God!” 

Brian stumbled backwards as an overly excited guy flung himself around his neck. “What the fuck?”

“It’s me! Michael!” 

“Little Michael Novotny,” Brian drawled. 

“I can’t believe how long it’s been. We were supposed to be friends forever, remember? You have to meet my husband. He’s a professor!” Michael took hold of Brian’s arm to keep him from leaving. “Ben!”

Ted offered to take Brian’s jacket. 

“I’m not staying.” 

“Ben, this is Brian Kinney, my best friend when I was growing up.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you. Both Ted and Michael speak highly of you.” 

“I bet they do. How’s your mom, Mikey?”

“Loud as ever! She’s still working at the diner, and I own the Red Cape.” 

“And that would be?”

“A comic book store. Can you believe it?”

“Actually, I can. Theodore?” 

“Yes, boss?”

“I need the number for Emmett Honeycutt. You know him, right?”

“We all do!” Michael beamed at Brian. “He’s part of our gang. What about you?”

“I’m an ad exec”.

“I know that!” Michael rolled his eyes. “I meant your personal life.” 

“Maybe he’d like to keep it personal.” Ben tried to calm his husband down, sensing that Brian wasn’t really up for sharing. 

“It’s okay, Professor. Married, with a kid.” 

“We have a son and a daughter!”

“That’s great.” Brian took the piece of paper Ted handed him and turned around to leave. 

“I did some number crunching and they look better than ever, so feel free to buy whatever painting Emmett tries to sell you.”

“Actually, it’s an artist I need to get a hold of. By the way, we have to find another lawyer.” 

“Consider it done.”

Brian had his arms full of Michael once more before he managed to get out of there. 

Driving into town again, he tried to ignore the note next to him on the passenger seat until he finally crumpled it into a ball and put it in his pocket. Without thinking, he’d somehow ended up on Liberty Avenue. Brian slowed down, noticing that most of the familiar places from his youth were still there. The sign above the Liberty Diner’s door made his heart speed up, and he quickly pulled over. A smile spread across his face when he saw the hair and heard the voice of the woman who’d made sure he survived his teenage years without too much scarring. God, he’d missed her. He walked up behind her and kissed her cheek. “Hi, Ma.” 

Deb spun around and squealed. “Maxine, I’m taking my break!” She pulled Brian down for a hug. “What on earth brought you here?”

“I saw Mikey earlier tonight.”

“He’s married with two kids.” 

“He told me.” 

“Here.” She proudly showed him pictures of them on her phone. 

“Not bad. How are you?” Brian thought she looked older but still so much like herself. 

“I’ve finally met someone! He’s an ex-cop.” 

“Naughty.” 

Debbie hit his arm and shoved him into a booth, then she sat down in front of him.

“How’s Vic?”

“He passed away. He found a great man before he died, so I like to think he was happy.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for his funeral.” 

“Don’t be. You didn’t know. How are your parents?”

“Dad died a couple of years ago, and Mom is still being her own lovely self.” 

“So they never changed?” Deb stroked his cheek. “How could they not see what they missed out on? Do you have a family?”

“Wife and son.” 

“Are you’re happy?”

“He’s a great kid.” 

Debbie waited for Brian to continue, waving her notepad at him when he didn’t. “What can I get you?”

“Nothing.” 

“One Pink Plate coming right up!” 

“Wait. Egg White omelette and coffee.” 

Debbie grinned at him and walked away.

Brian studied the clientele in the diner. Practically growing up in the place, he’d missed them more than he realized. He decided to bring Gus in for lunch sometime soon, sensing that his son would feel just as much at home there as he had. 

Debbie brought Brian his plate and made a quick round to the other tables, then she joined him again. “What does your wife do?”

“She used to work at a gallery, but now she stays home with Gus.” 

“How old is he?”

“Seven. I thought she’d go back to work when he started school, but apparently the house needs more attention than I’ll ever understand.” Brian shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.

“Brian, honey, don’t turn into your dad.” 

“I won’t.” 

“Get out if it’s not the life you want. Don’t ruin your kid’s life by staying.” 

“I’m fine.” 

“The hell you are.”

“Don’t. Please.”

“You, of all people, should know I won’t shut up when I see that something’s wrong.”

Brian smiled at her. “It’s all coming back to me now.”

Debbie glared at Brian, but she ended up laughing. “You’re so fucking beautiful. Don’t let me wait years to see you again.” She hugged him tightly. “You’re still my son, you know.”

\----------

Brian sat at his desk, frustrated as hell that a fucking piece of paper was capable of burning a hole in his jacket. He yanked it out and picked up his phone before he had a chance to change his mind. 

“Emmett Honeycutt.”

“Brian Kinney, here. I need to get a hold of a Justin Taylor. I take it he’s one of yours?”

“Of course! I was thrilled to learn you bought one of his pieces. You know that all of them are for sale, right? No need to stop at only one.”

Brian snorted and told Emmett to just give him the number. 

“Ooh, I like a demanding man.” Emmett read the number and waited while Brian repeated it back to him. 

“Thanks.” Brian hung up and asked Cynthia to arrange a meeting with Justin. 

“Anything else? Want me to book a restaurant?”

“No.” Brian took his briefcase and left for the weekend.

\----------

Justin put his phone down and walked away from his easel. Needing to make a note of the instructions he’d just received, he already regretted agreeing to meet with Brian. He had a feeling trouble was coming his way, and he really didn’t have the time or the energy for it. The way Brian’s assistant had approached him, like she was so certain he’d accept a chance to see the master himself, was the reason he turned down the first two dates she suggested and forced her to reschedule one of Brian’s other meetings to fit him in. 

A text message from Marcus asking if Justin wanted to come over for dinner swept him out of his studio in minutes. “Guess what just happened?”

“A guy blew you outside?”

“Nooo. Brian Kinney set up a meeting with me on Tuesday.”

“To blow you?”

“Not according to his assistant.” 

“So why then?”

“I don’t know. Probably to tell me where he hung my painting and how nice it looks.” 

“Not the worst thing someone can tell you.” 

“You’re right. I shouldn’t complain.”

“You don’t think he wants to see you because he’s interested in you?”

“We both know straight guys don’t turn gay no matter how much we want them to.”

“We also know not all gays are out and proud.” 

“There’s something about him that makes me think he wouldn’t be sitting in a closet if that were the case.”

“Then maybe he’s open-minded enough to change direction if he falls for someone on the other side of the street.”

“Maybe.”

\----------

Justin stared into the mirror and frowned. He’d changed outfits twice but still wasn’t satisfied with what he saw. Shaking his head at his own stupidity, he put on the first pair of shoes he could find even though they were nowhere near what he’d planned on wearing. He wasn’t known to care too much about clothes, and having a meeting with the Face Of God was really no reason to start now. 

Making his way over to Kinnetik, Justin laughed when he saw its logo repeated over and over again on the front doors. He thought it suited the man inside to show the whole fucking world that the company was his and his alone. He stepped up to the front desk. “Hi, I’m Justin Taylor.”

“Of course. I’ll let him know.” Cynthia pressed a button on the intercom. “Mr. Taylor is here.” 

“Send him in.” Brian stood behind his desk. Then he decided to walk around and lean against the front of it. Almost knocking the lamp over, he managed to rescue it seconds before Cynthia opened the door.

Justin thanked her and turned to Brian. “Hi.”

“Hey. Your painting looks great in our home.” 

Justin mentally rolled his eyes. “Thank you.” 

Brian crossed his arms over his chest. “I need your expertise.” 

“Aha.” 

“I’ve been thinking about what you said. How the art world and the ad world are almost one and the same.” 

“Yes?”

Brian motioned for him to take one of the chairs in front of his desk. “We have a new client, and this is what my art department came up with.” He held the two offending boards up in front of Justin. 

“Do they hate your client and the product he’s selling?”

“That’s my point. We need you.” 

“I’m an artist, Mr. Kinney.” 

“Brian.” 

“Whatever. I might be interested in your field of work, but that doesn’t mean I know anything about advertising.” 

“You know these are crap.” 

“I’d have to be blind to miss that. Look, Brian, I’m sure you have access to the best of the best.” Justin giggled when Brian waved the boards at him. “As much as I’d love to help, I’m not looking for a new job.”

“Wanna go out for a drink?” Brian flinched at his words, busying himself with shuffling some papers around while he waited for an answer.

“No. But I need food.”

Brian smirked while he held the door open for Justin. He turned to his assistant. “Cancel my one o’clock, would you?”

“Yes, sir.” 

Justin handed the menu to the waitress and sat back in his chair. Waiting for Brian to say something, he took his pen out of his pocket and started to draw on a napkin when Brian remained silent.

Brian looked at the sketch coming to life across the table and felt himself getting upset with his art department all over again.

“Here. Tell them to make these changes and your client will be forever grateful.” 

“You’ve obviously never met him.” Brian took the napkin from Justin. “You’re fucking amazing.” He rolled his lips in and stopped himself before it got too bad. 

Justin threw him a blinding smile, digging into the food that had just arrived. 

Brian picked at his noodles, watching Justin eat with an energy only people who don’t worry about their figures ever master. “Tell me about the show in London.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything.” Brian studied Justin while he talked vividly about the paintings he’d show and why he chose them. God, it was a fucking turn on for him to listen to someone who was as genuinely interested in his field of work as he was. 

Justin stopped himself and asked if Brian wanted to split a dessert with him. 

Brian waved the waiter over and ordered for them. “Go on.” 

Justin said he’d learned the hard way to be specific with what he could deliver for a show. He told Brian about showing up to his first exhibition with two small sketches when they’d wanted a fucking mural, glaring as Brian laughed at him. “Happy to see my misery is amusing to you.” 

Then Justin glanced at his watch. “Shit! I’m sorry, but I need to go.” He slid the last piece of chocolate cake to Brian’s side of the plate and pushed his chair back. 

Brian set his wallet on the table, happy when the waitress hurried over with the check. 

“This was nice. We should do it again.” Justin met Brian’s stare. “If you want to?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Brian was going for casual, but he had a feeling the corners of his mouth had turned upwards. 

Justin brushed his fingers across Brian’s arm. “Later.” 

Brian started back to his office when Justin jumped in a cab. He called Lindsay to let her know he’d be sleeping at the loft, assuring her it wasn’t because she’d invited Smelly Melly to dinner. Not that the chance to miss a meal with his lawyer didn’t satisfy him. He still beat himself up every day for letting Lindsay talk him into hiring her friend. To be honest, Mel was great at her work, but she was just too fucking much all the time. He hoped Ted would manage to find someone he could stand. 

\----------

Brian called it a night at seven, stopping to pick up a bottle of booze on his way to the apartment. Slumping down on the couch, he decided he’d earned an evening in front of some brain dead TV show and a stack of magazines. 

Justin left his studio and walked across the street to his apartment. Pleased that he reached the day’s goal of finishing up the sketch he’d been working on since that morning, he undressed and stepped into the shower. 

Images of blond hair and a wide smiling mouth kept interrupting Brian’s reading. He took another swig from his half-empty bottle and rubbed over the bulge in his pants, moaning as he got hard. Unzipping his pants, he wrapped his fingers around his shaft and started to stroke himself. 

Justin dried off and fell onto his bed. Burying his face in the pillow, he slowly humped the mattress while he thought about Brian’s body and what he wanted to do with it. He’d been hard on and off all fucking afternoon and annoyed as hell that the one guy he could actually see himself falling for was straight, married, and not likely to care about his boner.

Brian pushed his hips up and forced his cock through his fist faster and faster. For the first time in years, he panted someone’s name as he came, shooting ropes of come onto his stomach. 

Rolling over to his back, Justin spread his legs and rapidly jerked his cock. He breathed loudly when a mindblowing orgasm hit him.


	3. Chapter 3

“This place is cool!” Gus’s head whipped around as he took everything in while Brian ushered him to a table. 

Kiki gave them a couple of minutes and then walked up, ready to take their orders. “Hi, honey.” She smiled at Gus.

“Hi.” He looked her up and down. “You’re tall.”

“I sure am.” 

“My dad’s tall, too.” 

“Among other things,” she purred.

Gus frowned and glanced at Brian, who ignored the comment. 

“Do you know what you want?”

“Hamburger and a Coke.” 

Kiki turned to Brian. 

“Chicken sandwich, hold the mayo, and coffee.”

“Coming right up.” 

“Is Debbie working?”

“Yes. I’ll get her for you.”

Within seconds, Debbie hurried over to Brian and Gus. “Aren’t you the cutest thing I’ve ever seen since your dad grew up!” She pinched Gus’s cheeks. “I’m Deb.” 

“I’m Gus. It’s nice to meet you.” He extended his hand out to her. 

“Debbie, we’re starving!” a guy at the next table shouted. 

“Can’t you see I’m talking to my grandson? Some people just don’t have any manners. I’ll be right back,” she promised Gus. 

Brian studied Gus for his reaction.

“She’s funny,” Gus whispered when she was gone. “Her hair is really red! Did you see all her buttons? I bet she has thousands of them!” 

“You’re probably right.”

“How can I be her grandson? She’s not Mommy’s mom, and she’s not yours either.” 

“She is.” 

“No, she’s not.” Gus looked confused. 

“I grew up in Deb’s house because her son was my best friend.” 

“Like Amy is mine?”

“Yeah. I spent more time there than at my parents’ house.” 

“Weren’t your parents sad that you weren’t there?”

“They couldn’t have cared less.” 

“Would you be sad if I moved in with Amy?”

“Nah, we’d get over it.” Brian hugged Gus’s shoulder across the table. “It would be hell not to have you around.” 

“Why are those two boys kissing?”

“They’re celebrating being together for three years,” Deb said, plopping down next to Brian. 

“Wow! That’s a long time. That man is wearing a skirt just like Mom’s.”

“Don’t point.” Brian bent his finger down. 

“Sorry. I need to . . .” Gus looked at Brian. 

“Bathroom’s over there.” 

Gus slid down from his seat and almost crashed into the man wearing the skirt. “Sorry, sir. Uh, ma’am.” 

“Adorable,” the man mumbled, winking at Brian. 

“Thanks for letting me meet him.” Debbie kissed Brian’s cheek. “He seems as open-minded as you were. I should get back before they wear Kiki out. Take care, honey.” 

“Yes, Ma.” 

“Dad, should I call Ms. Deb Grandma the next time we come here?” Gus asked when they left the diner.

“She’d pass out from happiness.” 

“Okay. I’ll tell Mom tonight that I have one really cool new grandma.” Gus giggled as he fastened his seat belt. 

“What’s so funny?”

“Two men were arguing really loud in the stall next to mine. They shouted that word I’m not allowed to say. Do you know which one I mean?”

“Yes.” 

“They said it again when they came out and saw me. They must have been wrestling in there because one of them almost had his shirt off, but then they kissed and made up before they left.” 

“That’s quite an adventure you had in there.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

“I’m gonna swing by the loft.” 

“I wish we lived there.” 

“What’s wrong with the house?”

“Nothing, I guess. It’s just so pretty and girly. The loft is cooler.” 

“Maybe we could spend a night at the loft soon. Just you and me?”

Gus nodded happily.

\----------

Justin sighed as his phone rang. He’d finally decided what he was going to do for his next project and was anxious to get started on it. He took the call right before it rolled over to voice mail. “Taylor.”

“Kinney.”

“Hi! Hold on.” 

Brian yanked the phone away from his ear when he heard a loud bang.

“Okay, I’m back.” 

“What the fuck are you doing? I almost lost my hearing.” 

“The easel fell over when I put a blank canvas on it. What can I do for you?” Justin went through his tubes of paint, noting which colors he was running out of and choosing some to work with while he was talking to Brian.

“I’m gonna check out a gallery tonight. Wanna come with me?”

“Like a date?”

“No! I don’t do . . . No.” 

“Calm down. I was joking.” 

“Are you coming or not?”

“Sure. What time?”

“Six thirty. I’ll text you the address.”

\----------

Justin checked his messages again to make sure he was at the right gallery. He’d been waiting for almost a half hour when Brian finally showed up. “Trouble telling time?”

“A client wouldn’t let me go until I promised to redo his ad from scratch.”

“Not my ad, I hope.”

“No. That client was deliriously happy with your suggestions. Of course he changed his mind twice about the colors, but that was to be expected. Come on. The art I want to check out is in here.” Brian walked over to a wall filled with small colorful paintings. 

“These are pretty good.” Justin studied them closely from different angles. “You should buy all of them together. See how they’re linked to each other?”

“See the price tag?”

“Whoops. Maybe just one would be okay?”

“I’m sure it would.” 

“Which one?”

Brian pointed to the one Justin had shown the most interest in. 

“Nice choice.”

“Why do you like it?”

“The colors, first of all, and how the artist used both crayons and oil to create the shadows. It’s not as detailed as the others, but it has enough detail to make it interesting.”

Brian silently agreed with him. “I’ll try to find the assistant.”

They’d made their way through all the rooms in the gallery an hour later, Brian enjoying Justin’s attempts to talk him out of buying another painting he liked. 

“It won’t fit in with your other ones!”

“How do you know? You haven’t seen my collection.” 

“Because it won’t fit next to anything. It’s horrible!”

“I thought you were all for supporting local artists.”

“I am. That painting shouldn’t be something I support, though.” 

“Jealous because you weren’t invited to show your paintings?”

“No! It’s just crap.”

“Well, how can I argue with such wisdom?” Brian hadn’t planned on buying it, but he saw no reason to tell Justin. “I need to take care of something in my apartment,” he told him when they left the gallery. “It’s just a couple of blocks away from here.” 

“I thought you lived in a house?”

“We have a house outside the city, but I own a loft down here.” 

“Can I see it?”

Brian crossed the street towards his car without replying. Justin hurried after him, laughing softly at how unpredictable he was.

“This place is great!” Justin looked around, taking everything in. “I like your kitchen. I’ve dreamed of a stove like this.” He ran his hand over its surface and continued into the living room. “Is that a Mies van der Rohe table?”

“It is.” Brian sounded proud even though he tried to disguise it. 

“And who’s this?”

“My naked guy. I bought it years ago. Something in it caught my attention.” 

“Why don’t you bring him over to your house?”

“Lindsay can’t stand him.”

“Bummer.” 

Brian sat down at his desk and fired up his computer. 

“If you need to work, I’ll leave.” 

“Hang on. I just have to send a document to Cynthia.” 

“I could seriously live in this place.”

“I’m happy you approve of it.”

Justin went over Brian’s movie collection. “I loved Yellow Submarine when I was a kid.” 

“Knock yourself out.” Brian gestured towards his video player, his eyes never leaving the screen. 

“Is something wrong?”

“Just a client set on pissing me off.” Brian grabbed his cell and barked orders to the first person who picked up. 

Justin took the tape and fiddled with Brian’s VCR and TV, trying to get them to work together. He sat on Brian’s sofa and smiled when the music began. 

An hour later, the sofa dipped as Brian joined him and handed him a beer. “The quality really sucks.” 

“I like it. It would be strange to see it on Blu-ray.” 

They sat next to each other quietly when the movie ended. “Are you sleeping here tonight?” Justin finally asked.

“Yeah.”

“I’m meeting Marcus at Babylon. Wanna come?”

“I guess I could grace them with my presence for awhile. I’m just gonna take a shower and change out of my work clothes.” Brian stood up and headed for the bathroom.

“Do you want a . . . Oh, fuck! Sorry.” Justin backed out of the bedroom. 

Brian seemed totally unfazed that he was naked. Strolling after Justin into the living room, towel in hand, he leaned against the back of the sofa, his long, lean body dripping wet. He shook the water out of his hair. “Do I want what?”

Justin licked his lips, not able to look away. “A drink.”

“Whatever you’re having.” 

Justin nodded and poured him a glass. “Here.” 

“Put it on my nightstand.” 

Justin followed Brian back into the bedroom, watching him search through racks of clothes that were no doubt very expensive. “Impressive.” 

Brian turned slowly and looked down at himself. “I know,” he drawled. 

“I meant the clothes, but you’re not too bad. Considering your age.” 

“Fuck you!”

Justin sat down on Brian’s bed. “I was thinking about the miniature paintings. I’d like to try it out.” 

“What do you have in mind?” Brian pulled on a pair of worn jeans.

Justin noticed he didn’t bother with any underwear. “Uh, I’m not sure. I just know I want to do it differently and put my own twist on it. I’ll figure it out once I get started.” 

“Pick one.” Brian held up two similar shirts. 

“The tighter one.” Justin watched him fuss with his hair, thinking he looked like a true club boy. 

Brian glanced into the mirror on their way out. “Yeah, we’ll do.” 

\----------

“Hey!” Justin nudged Marcus’s shoulder.

“I thought you’d stood me up.”

“It took Brian forever to decide what to wear.” 

Brian flipped Justin off and went over to the bar to order them beers. 

“You’re here with Tall And Sexy? Why?”

“He called to ask me if I wanted to go to a gallery with him, and one thing lead to another.” 

“Did it lead to _that_?”

“No. I did see him naked, though.” 

“What?”

“He’d taken a shower.”

“So?”

“Pretty much perfect.” 

“And?”

“Gigantic.”

“I fucking knew it!”

“What are you girls giggling about?”

“Your cock.” 

Justin hit Marcus’s arm and blushed. 

“Of course, you are. It’s worth talking about.” 

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Justin mumbled. 

“Sunshine! Marcus!” Emmett pushed through the crowd to get to them. He hugged Justin and then turned his full attention to Marcus. “Tell me again why on earth you aren’t mine? My artist, I mean. Among other things.” Emmett winked at Marcus. “Let me buy you a drink.”

“Those two are meant for each other,” Justin told Brian when his friends walked off. “If only Marcus could see it.” 

“Come on, _Sunshine_. Let’s dance.” Brian produced a tab of E from his pocket. He split it and gave Justin half along with a bottle of water. 

Justin swallowed it and walked out on the dance floor after him. 

Brian looked out into the club. The place hadn’t changed much since he’d been there with Mikey all those years ago. He smiled as he remembered their first trip to Babylon, Michael being so overwhelmed with everything that he’d relied on Brian to buy their drinks and find them a spot on the dance floor. 

Changing his focus back to Justin, Brian’s eyes roamed over his body moving effortlessly to the music. 

Justin put his hands on Brian’s hips a couple of songs later and leaned into him. “I know how to paint the miniature.”

“How?” Brian’s lips brushed over Justin’s ear. 

“I’m gonna put Babylon in it.”

“You do know what miniature means, right?”

Justin laughed, resting his head on Brian’s chest for a second. “The colors in here. The music and the men. It’ll all blend together in my painting. You’ll be able to make out the details once you figure out what to expect.” 

“You should take E all the time.”

“It has nothing to do with that. I fucking love this place! I always get inspired when I’m here.”

Brian put his arms over Justin’s shoulders. “What was that about my cock?”

“Nothing.”

“So you blushed for no good reason?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Do I have to give you more E to get you to tell me?”

“Can’t hurt, can it?” 

Brian grinned and split another tab in half, holding it against Justin’s mouth. “Open up.” Placing it on his tongue, Brian’s fingertip slid over his lips. 

Justin closed his eyes and stood perfectly still as he felt the buzz run through his body. “Gigantic.”

“Seems accurate.” Brian put his hand on the small of Justin’s back. Closing the distance between them again, his cock pressed into Justin’s stomach. 

Justin’s eyes widened when he felt how hard Brian was. 

“It’s the drugs,” Brian mumbled in his ear. “I have to go. Early start tomorrow.” 

“Excuse me.”

Justin turned around to see who tapped him on the shoulder. 

“Hi! Was that Brian Kinney?”

“Uh, yeah. Who are you?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m Michael. I’m Brian’s best friend. We spent all of our teenage years together. We hadn’t talked to each other in a long time, but we met up maybe a month ago at my friend Ted’s place. How do you know Brian?”

“I’m an artist and he’s—”

“Is Emmett your agent? Brian asked Ted for Em’s number because he was trying to get a hold of an artist.”

“That would be me, yes.” 

“This is my husband, Ben. We have two kids.” 

“That’s nice.”

“Ben, this is . . . What’s your name?”

“Justin Taylor.” He shook Ben’s hand. 

“And this is Ted. Ted, this is Justin. He was dancing with Brian.” 

“Boss is here?” Ted looked around.

“He just left.”

“Why was he here?” Michael asked.

“We had a meeting, and he decided to go out with Marcus and me after it was over.” 

“Your partner?”

“A friend. He’s over there, putting his tongue down Honeycutt’s throat.” Justin pointed at them. 

“He looks nice.” 

Ben gave Michael a hug. 

“What was that for?”

“For having a kind heart.” 

Justin accepted when a guy stepped up and asked him to dance. He thought he better get Brian out of his mind as soon as possible or else he’d be imprinted in it for good.


	4. Chapter 4

Justin woke up to a knock on his door early the next morning. “What’s up?” He put on a tee shirt as he let Marcus inside. 

“What’s up? Last night’s what’s up!”

“Did something happen after I left Babylon?”

“No, no. You were still there when it happened.” 

“Come on, Marcus. Just tell me.” 

“Brian had a fucking boner when he left! He walked past us, and it was right there!”

Justin laughed out loud. “That’s it? That’s what you’re all upset about?”

“And you’re not?”

“He was high. It doesn’t mean anything.” 

“Yeah, right,” Marcus drawled. “By the way, I met Emmett’s friends. They’re really nice.”

“I know. I met them, too. Brian is Ted’s boss, and Michael was his friend when they were kids. They came up to me after Brian left.” 

“What’s happening here, Justin?”

“I don’t know yet. What’s happening with you and Emmett?”

“We fuck and have fun, but you knew that already.” 

“He’s totally smitten with you.” 

“But, sweetie, Brian sported wood!”

Marcus and Justin stared at each other until they cracked up at the whole situation. 

“Do you want breakfast?”

“Please.”

Justin quickly set the table while Marcus made coffee. “Waffles?”

“Sounds great. You’re right about Emmett, though. He’s definitely more into me than I’m into him, so I think it’s time to break it off with him.”

Justin stopped what he was doing. “Wait. Why?”

“He’s so kind and sweet, and I will undoubtedly end up hurting him.”

“He’s not some delicate flower.”

“It’s just that he’s going all in with his feelings, and . . . well, you know me.” 

“I do know you’ve decided that you’re not doing boyfriends for some reason.”

Marcus scrunched up his nose.

“Oh, please. You want a boyfriend just as much as everyone else does. Have you ever thought about spending time with Emmett? Not just having sex or making out in bars?”

“He invited me to dinner tonight with Ted and his partner.” Marcus smiled at Justin sheepishly, his cheeks blushing. 

“Are you going?”

“Yes.”

Justin hugged him tightly. “I’m proud of you.” 

\----------

Justin stopped himself before he opened Kinnetik’s door, not sure he was doing the right thing after all. Ah, fuck it! He’d give it a shot. If Brian seemed repulsed at the sight of him, he’d leave him alone. 

Cynthia looked up in surprise when he flung the door open. “Mr. Taylor? Did you have an appointment?”

“No.”

She stood up behind her desk. “I’ll see if he’s available.”

“Thank you.”

Cynthia came back a minute later. “He’s on the phone, but he’ll see you as soon as possible.” 

Justin removed his jacket and smiled when she offered him a cup of coffee. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“What can I do for you today, Mr. Taylor?”

Snapping his head up, Justin met Brian’s stare. “May I come in?”

“I don’t see why not.” 

Justin took a deep breath, thinking he’d probably overstepped some line by visiting Brian at work. He followed him into his office and handed him a package. “Here.”

Brian unwrapped it and raised his eyebrows when a miniature painting fell into his hand. He studied it closely then turned to Justin. “Why did you let me buy that insanely expensive one that’s nowhere near this good?”

“Would you not have bought it if I’d tried to stop you?”

“Probably not.” Brian tried to give it back to him. 

“It’s yours if you want it. I thought it would look good next to the naked guy.” 

Brian seemed a bit taken aback, but he thanked him. 

“See how I put us in the middle of the spotlight and tiny flakes of silver are falling around us? There’s even a man dancing in a cage in the background.” 

“Aren’t you clever? It won’t fit with the naked guy, though.”

“You’re free to do whatever you want with it.” 

“It needs a wall of its own.”

“It does?”

“Yeah.” Brian carefully wrapped it up again and put it in his briefcase. 

“Someone named Michael started talking to me at Babylon after you left. He said you’re his best friend.”

“I hope not, considering we haven’t seen each other since we were teenagers.”

“He was nice, though. And his husband is hot!”

“Well, I wouldn’t know.” 

“Boss?” Ted peeked in the door. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll come back later.” He looked at Justin. “Hey, we met at Babylon.” 

“We did. I’ll leave you alone.”

“I just need Brian’s signature on a couple of checks.” 

Brian made a face when he saw the sums. “We’re fucking bleeding money this month, Theodore.” 

“I’ve got it under control.”

“You better have or I’ll fire your ass.” 

“Absolutely.” 

Justin put his jacket on and picked up his bag.

“Justin.” Brian stopped him when he was almost out the door. “Wanna help me hang it?”

“Uh . . .” 

Brian rolled his lips in and focused on his computer screen.

“What time do you get off?”

“At five.”

Ted busied himself with the papers he was carrying around. There was something about this guy that made Brian sound less terrifying, and for a second he thought he could see a smile on his face when Justin said he’d meet him at the loft. 

“Anything else, Theodore?” Brian barked when the door was pulled shut behind Justin’s back.

“I have everything I need.” Ted scurried out of Brian’s office, only to have Cynthia grab his arm and drag him over to her desk. 

“Is Mr. Taylor a client?”

“He’s an artist. I think Brian bought one of his paintings.”

“And now they’re best buddies?”

“Brian’s not known for making friends, but it sure sounded like they’re more than just acquaintances. Oh, and Brian went to Babylon with him.” 

Brian interrupted them before Cynthia had a chance to process the information. “Will you two gossip queens be done soon so you can join our client and me for a phone conference?”

“Be right there, boss!”

\----------

Brian stepped out of the Jeep and looked for Justin near his building. Shrugging when he didn’t see him, he figured Justin was either running late or he’d changed his mind. He walked up the stairs and regained control of his face just before Justin raised his head and looked at him. 

“Hi!”

“Who let you in?”

“A nice old lady who lives on the first floor. She has two kittens that are adorable. Have you met them?”

“I don’t think I’ve even met her.” 

“You should! They were just so cuddly and tiny.” 

“Not likely to happen.”

“You don’t like cats?”

“They’re hairy,” Brian said with a shrug.

Justin stared at him. “Of course they’re hairy. They’re cats.” 

Brian dangled a bag in front of him. “If I let you have this, will you stop looking at me like I’ve killed one of those damn kittens?” 

“What is it?” 

“Food and cookies.” 

“Oh! Who cares about those cute little furballs anyway?” 

Brian held his hand out and helped Justin up from the floor before he gave him the bag. “Why don’t you unpack the containers while I fire up my computer? I need to go over some things for tomorrow.” 

“Who’s the client?”

“A new seafood restaurant that’s opening downtown.” 

“Seafood? That sounds like a challenge.” Justin laughed when Brian described how the client had suggested shrimps lined up and dancing for an audience of clams and crawfish. 

“Since that won’t be happening, I was thinking something like this.” Brian showed Justin the pictures he’d been studying. 

“These are beautiful!” It was a dinner party shot in black and white from several different angles. The seafood on the table would have barely been noticeable if it hadn’t been in color. “What do you want to drink?”

“Wine.” Brian pointed at the bottles and left the decision to Justin. 

Justin went looking for a corkscrew and noticed the shiny appliances by the stove. “Are these brand new?”

“I don’t use them much.” 

“You should. They need . . . no, they _deserve_ to be used.” Justin opened a bottle of wine and walked over to the desk. 

“What do you think?” Brian had rearranged the pictures to depict someone walking around the restaurant and discovering something new in every frame. 

“I think he’s fucking lucky you didn’t go with the dancing shrimps.” Justin put his hands on Brian’s shoulders and rubbed his neck with his thumbs. “Hungry?”

“I can eat.”

Soon caught up in a lengthy discussion about art critics and their ability to make or break an artist, Brian wasn’t surprised to learn that Justin couldn’t care less about them. “So you mean the article about you in ArtForum didn’t do anything for you?”

“Sure, it did. It made me realize I have no interest in playing by their rules. If I decide to move to another town, it'll be my decision, not theirs. I’ve sold more paintings here than I’d ever sell in New York. Or Milan. Or wherever they think I should go.”

Brian glanced up at Justin. 

“What?”

“You’re different.”

“Thanks! Do you want a cookie for dessert?”

“I don’t eat carbs after seven.” 

“It’s six fifty-five.” Justin handed Brian the plate. “Have one while I make coffee.”

“Sit. I’ll do it.” 

“But what about your figure? It might get ruined and you won’t ever be able to get back in shape again.”

Brian gently forced a cookie into Justin’s mouth to keep him quiet. Minutes later, his cell rang and Lindsay’s number popped up on the screen. He frowned and swiped it open. “What?”

“Dad?”

“Hi, Gus!”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m having dinner with an artist.” 

“Oh.” 

“Do you want me to bring home dessert?”

“Yes! Can I have it before I go to bed?”

“Will you tell Mom if I let you?”

“Nooo. Bye.”

“Bye, son.”

Justin had started to clear the table while Brian was on the phone. “Where did you plan to hang the miniature?”

“Over here.” Brian handed Justin a cup, took the painting from his briefcase, and went to the corner where his leather chair was. 

“It’s kind of dark.” 

“I’ll put up a spot.” Brian held the miniature up against the wall. 

“You were right. It does look good there. Did you see the paint I used has glitter in it? If you ever miss Babylon, you have a little sparkly piece of it right here.” 

“It’s fucking perfect, but that was to be expected. You are a prodigy, after all.” Brian went to get a hammer and a nail. “Hold it up for me.” Putting his arms around Justin’s head, Brian’s chest pressed into Justin’s back for a couple of seconds while he hammered the nail into the wall. “Not that I don’t like your red frame, but do you have any idea how much time it took to rearrange all the other paintings in my gallery to make them fit in with yours?” 

“Poor rich guy. It must have been hell for you.” Justin giggled when Brian glared at him. He was happy to hear Brian understood the frame was meant to be a part of the painting and that he hadn’t reframed it. “Let’s get the dishes done so you can go home to your kid.” 

Brian loaded the dishwasher and wrote a note to the cleaning lady, asking her to unload it for him. 

“This was fun! Let me know if you want some company the next time you’re staying in town.” Justin handed Brian the little Ziploc baggy he’d put the leftover cookies in when they exited the elevator. 

Brian nodded. Then he walked over to his car without looking back.

\----------

A couple of days later, Justin was playing with his cell phone while he waited for a layer of paint to dry. Scrolling down to Brian’s number, he wrote him a text. “I’m meeting Marcus and Emmett for a drink at Woody’s tonight at 7. Wanna join us?”

“No.”

Justin huffed out a laugh when he read Brian’s short reply. Not going to dwell on it, he picked up his brush again, losing himself in his work for the rest of the day. 

\----------

Lindsay studied Brian’s profile, noticing his furrowed brows and nervous energy. “Is something wrong, honey? You’re not worried about Gus, are you? It’s just a nasty cold.” 

“I’m not.” 

“He’ll be fine.” Lindsay ruffled Brian’s hair. 

Gritting his teeth, he shook her off and stood up. 

“Stay with me,” Lindsay pleaded. 

“I’m just getting my phone.” Brian scrolled through his list of text messages and opened up the conversation with Justin again. “What’s Woody’s like?” 

The reply came within seconds. “Busy. Playing pool.”

“Are you kicking their asses?” Brian sat down again and propped his feet on the coffee table, ignoring the look Lindsay shot him as he crumpled her home decorating magazines.

“Of course.”

“Good boy!”

“Who are you texting with?” Lindsay asked.

Brian mumbled something unintelligible.

“Trouble?”

Brian laid his phone down and rested his head against the back of the sofa. “You could say that.” 

Lindsay patted his knee and changed the channel on the TV.


	5. Chapter 5

“Mom! Daddy and I are gonna have an all boys night at the loft tomorrow!”

“Are you? That sounds like lots of fun.”

Gus nodded. “We’ll eat takeout and watch TV and maybe drive around the city when it’s dark outside.” 

“Whoa! Did Dad promise you all that?”

“Uh-huh. I’m going to start packing right now. He’s picking me up after school and letting me stay at Kinnetik until he gets done working.” 

“Do you need help?”

“Nah. I’m taking my video games and my cool new shoes.” 

Lindsay followed Gus into his room. Taking a tee shirt and pair of pants out of his drawer, she handed them to him. “You don’t have any clothes at the loft, so you need to bring these.” 

“Okay.” Gus stuffed them down in the bottom of his backpack.

Lindsay frowned, but she managed to stay quiet about the wrinkles he caused. “It will be time to eat in a couple of minutes.” After dinner, she waited until Gus brought his plate to the sink before she turned to Brian. “Gus told me you two are sleeping at the loft tomorrow night.”

“We are.” 

“Brian, is everything okay? With us, I mean.” 

“Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. You just seem even more distant than usual.” 

Brian shrugged and stood up. 

“Can’t you at least answer me?”

“I have a phone call to make.” 

“Is it work?”

“Yeah.” 

Listening to Brian close his office door, Lindsay toyed with the thought of eavesdropping before she realized how childish it was. A minute later, she found herself standing at the door anyway, relaxing when she heard her husband talking to Cynthia on the speakerphone. Tiptoeing away, she busied herself in the kitchen. 

\----------

Brian’s phone rang just as he was about to log off of his computer for the day. He contemplated not answering, but seeing Justin’s name on the display urged him to pick up. 

“Hi. What are you doing?” 

“I’m leaving work in a few minutes. Gus is with me today. We’re spending the night at the loft.” 

“I miss hanging out with my dad.” 

“Is he dead?”

“No. He kicked me out when I was seventeen.” 

“What the fuck?”

“He’s a homophobe.” Justin swallowed hard. It had happened so many years earlier, but it was still fucking hurtful to talk about. “I’ll let you go. Later.” 

“Later.”

Gus’s eyes followed his dad as Brian paced the floor in his office. “Who was that?”

“Justin.” 

“Who’s Justin?” 

“An artist.” 

“Can he paint like Mom?”

“Even better.” 

Gus looked skeptical, but he decided to let it go when Brian told him to put his jacket on and be ready to leave soon. He spent the ride over to the loft telling Brian how cool his friend Amy’s new bike was and that he could ride it even though his legs were a bit too long and his feet almost touched the ground. 

Brian smirked at Gus’s attempts to get a new bike when his was only a year old. 

“It’s got red handlebars with lots of rainbow colored ropes hanging from them!”

“Streamers.”

“Huh?”

“They’re called streamers.” 

Gus pondered that word for awhile, not sure how his dad knew about things like this but also not doubting his dad was right. He’d definitely tell Amy later on.

“What do you want for dinner?” 

“Can we get Indian?”

“Sure. Lamb Masala?” 

“Yes!” 

\----------

“Fuck!” Frustrated, Justin threw a rag across his studio. A brush had managed to get away from him and not only ruined the drawing he started the day before but also left a bright red spot on the floor. He cursed again and reached for the bottle of solvent and a stack of paper towels, rubbing his wood floor until the paint was gone. Taking a deep breath, he tried to force all the thoughts of his dad out of his head. Why the hell had he mentioned him to Brian? He should know no good ever came from thinking about him. He could miss his dad all he wanted, but nothing would ever change between them. 

Hearing his alarm, Justin left the studio and rushed home to clean up before meeting his mom for dinner. 

“Hi, honey.” Jennifer hugged her son tightly. “I’ve missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you, too, Mom.” Justin held the restaurant door open for her. “How’s Tucker?” 

“Thanks for asking. He’s out of town, but he’ll be back late tomorrow night.” 

Justin still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that his mother had a younger boyfriend, but over time he’d realized Tucker was good for her. And Molly seemed to adore him. 

“How are you?” Jennifer asked after they placed their orders.

“Fine.” 

“And Marcus?”

“He’s finally decided to give it a try with Emmett. So far, it looks like it’s working out great for them.”

“I’m so happy for them both! What about you?”

Justin shook his head. 

“No one? Not even a fling?”

“Mom, please. Can we talk about something else?”

“Of course.” Jennifer glanced at him over her menu.

Justin looked up and met her stare. “I talked to someone earlier, and it got me thinking about Dad.” 

“Oh, sweetie. Are you two still not on speaking terms?”

“Not after the last time he called me a disgusting faggot.” 

Jennifer gripped Justin’s hand across the table. “I’m sorry he turned out to be such a horrible man.” 

“It’s not your fault. My friend was spending the night with his son, and . . . I don’t know. I guess it just made me miss him.” 

“Who’s your friend?”

“Brian Kinney. He bought one of my paintings.” 

“I like him already. Tell me more.”

“Not much to tell. He’s an ad exec with his own firm.”

“Sounds interesting.” 

“Don’t get your hopes up. He’s got a wife.”

Jennifer heard something in Justin’s voice that made her heart ache. “So, he knows good art?”

“Yeah. He’s building this collection of works by local artists.” 

“Are you in love with him?”

“Mother!”

“What? He sounds like your kind of guy.” 

“I don’t have a kind, and did you not hear the part about him having a family?”

“We both know that can change when you least expect it to.”

“Even if it did, he’s still straight.” 

“But he’s dreamy?”

Justin sighed and nodded. 

\----------

Brian pulled a sleeping Gus closer and buried his nose in his short hair. Inhaling his scent, he wondered how any dad could find a good enough reason to kick his own son out on the street. Just the thought of doing it to Gus made him uncomfortable. He kissed his forehead and untangled himself from his son. 

Reading another text Lindsay had sent asking if they were okay, Brian replied and then turned off his phone. He’d known for years they wouldn’t last. Maybe now that Gus was older it was time to act on it. Lindsay was clearly miserable, but she’d trapped herself in their home instead of doing something about it. She would need to be forced back into her old life again, and maybe a divorce was the answer. Or was he just seeking reasons for it because the truth was still too unimaginable?

\----------

“I wish we could sleep here more often.” Gus climbed up onto a barstool and started to eat his waffle and bowl of cereal. “Maybe Mom can join us next time?”

Brian checked his schedule for the day. “You need to hurry up or we’ll be late.” 

“Okay.” Gus licked some maple syrup off of his fingers. “It’s sticky.” Trying to touch Brian’s arm to show him just how sticky it was, Gus slid down from his stool when his dad shot him a glare. “I’m just gonna get my backpack.” 

“It’s by the door, ready for takeoff when you are.”

“Oh! I guess I’m ready then.” 

“You’re not getting into my car with those fingers.” 

Groaning, Gus went to wash up. 

\----------

“Good morning, boss.” 

“Cynthia. Theodore.” Brian opened his office door. “You know, I’m not paying you to stand around all day.”

“You’re certainly not, Bri.” Ted took some papers out of a folder. “I need signatures.” 

Brian rubbed his hand over his face. “More bills? If this continues, I won’t be able to pay either of you any longer.”

Cynthia stared at Ted. “Fix it!” she hissed. 

“No need to fret. They’re not bills. Just two contracts that need your John Hancock.” 

“Oh, well . . . then I guess you can keep your job for another month.” 

“Thank you, boss.” 

Lindsay called the minute Brian sat down at his desk. “Did Gus get to school on time?”

“Yes.”

“Did he sleep okay?”

“Like a log.” 

“I’m going to run some errands today. Do you want to have lunch with me?”

“I’ve got meetings all day.” 

“I miss you. Will you at least be home for dinner?”

“Probably.” 

“Wanna know what I did last night?” Lindsay sounded cheerful.

Brian logged onto his computer and opened the latest changes to the new campaign they were working on. “Enlighten me.” 

Lindsay talked vividly about the plants she’d bought and placed in various rooms, then she changed the subject. “I had dinner in town at a wonderful new restaurant with Melanie and her partner, Leda. We have to make reservations there sometime soon. Maybe next weekend?” 

“I’ll take care of it.” 

“You will?”

“Consider it done.” 

“Thank you! It’s been too long since we’ve spent time together without Gus. I’ll call Jennie and see if she’s free to babysit.” 

“Why don’t you invite our friends?”

“That would be lovely! I’ll get in touch with them right away.” 

Brian hung up. At least he was trying. Even though every fiber in his body had been pulling him in another direction for months now, at least he was trying. He called the head of his art department, demanding that he make the changes to their new account immediately unless he wanted to find a pink slip in his locker by the end of the day. Brian’s voice trailed off when he saw Justin’s name at the top of his inbox.

“Hi! I’m not stalking you. I just wanted to give you a heads up about an artist who’s showing his paintings next month. You should consider buying one before his prices go crazy.”

Brian clicked the link and studied the paintings closely, zooming in on the details. They really were great, although they were different from the ones in his collection. Hitting reply, he stopped himself. Should he encourage Justin by replying? Was anything even there to encourage? Bookmarking the site, Brian shifted his focus to reading up on the client he was scheduled to meet in a couple of minutes.

\---------

Brian looked around the table at the friends he and Lindsay had known for years, feeling more distant from them than he ever had before. They were a group of carefully chosen people he was normally able to stand. At least for a night. Ordering another drink, he ignored Lindsay’s hand on his thigh and its squeezing in an attempt to get him to stop drinking. 

“How’s the company doing?”

“Not bad.” Brian loosened his tie a little and begged for the alcohol to kick in. 

Lindsay rolled her eyes at their friend sitting across the table. “He’s being modest. They had their best year ever.” 

“Congrats.” The man raised his glass. “You’re worth it, considering how many hours you put in every week.”

“I hardly see him at home anymore. Not that I’m complaining,” Lindsay hurried to add, her fingers intertwining with Brian’s. “I’m so proud of him.” 

Brian pushed his chair back. “I need a smoke.” Controlling his steps, he had a hard time not running out of the restaurant. 

“Hey, stud. Looking for a good time?” a man purred in his ear. 

“Fuck off.” 

Laughing, the guy walked in front of Brian. “Remember me?”

“Vaguely.” 

“Marcus. Justin Taylor’s friend.” 

“Right. The sculptor. What are you doing here in Breeder Central?” Brian offered him a cigarette, but he turned it down. 

“Drinks with my mom. Oh, there she is!” Marcus ran across the street and greeted the woman with a hug before he walked her over to Brian. 

“Is this Emmett?” She beamed at her son, obviously happy with his choice.

Brian huffed out a laugh as Marcus looked confused for a second. 

“No, no. This is Brian.”

Marcus’s mother immediately lost interest in him, picking up her phone when it rang in her purse. 

“Told your mom about your hook-up?” Brian raised his eyebrows at Marcus. 

“No.” He blushed. “Well, yes. But it’s not like that. I just happened to mention him.”

“I understand and applaud your aversion to settling down,” Brian drawled. Going back in, he sat down just as dessert was being served. He’d agreed earlier to sharing a piece of chocolate cake with Lindsay but pushed it over to her after just one bite. 

“Come on. It’s so good.” She held the spoon out toward him. 

“I don’t have time for those extra hours on the stairmaster.” Brian let himself get dragged into a conversation about photography, finding that he actually enjoyed it after a little while. Glancing sideways, he saw Marcus showing his mom something on his phone. Brian watched her light up and hug his arm, probably over the moon for at least getting to see a picture of the boyfriend. 

An hour later, dinner was over and Lindsay offered to drive home since she hadn’t drunk nearly as much as Brian had. They said good-bye to their friends, and Marcus gave Brian a little wave when they passed each other by the door. 

“Who was that?” Lindsay asked. “He looked familiar.”

“The artist who made that sculpture you were so interested in.” 

“Do you two know each other?” 

Brian could tell she was still hoping he’d surprise her with one of those fucking huge pieces. “We talked briefly earlier tonight.”

Hiding her disappointment well, Lindsay chattered about their friends all the way home and parked outside their house. “Are you coming to bed?” she asked after they sent Jennie home. 

“I have work to do.” 

“I can wait up.” 

“Don’t.” 

Lindsay tried to put on a brave face, but she knew she wasn’t fooling Brian. 

He took her hand for a second. “I’ll be awake for hours. There’s no need for both of us to be dead in the morning.” 

Lindsay smiled a little brighter and blew him a kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

“The ubiquitous Justin Taylor.” 

Justin spun around. He hadn’t seen Brian since the night they’d eaten dinner at the loft, taking it as a sign that he was mistaken about them becoming friends when Brian didn’t reply to his email about the art show.

“You were right. He is talented.” 

“Have you seen anything you like?” 

“No.” 

“Come on.” Justin walked Brian over to the corner he’d just brushed past. “Look at this. It would fit perfectly with that one of mine you bought.” 

“No, it’s not what I’m looking for.” Brian put his jacket on. 

“Too bad I made you come when it wasn’t what you wanted.” 

“You had nothing to do with it. I got along just fine before you showed up, you know.” 

“I’m sorry for whatever I did to piss you off.” 

“Sorry’s bullshit.” Brian strode away towards the exit. 

Marcus came up to Justin. “Did he leave?”

“Yeah. I think he’s the biggest drama queen I’ve ever met.” 

“Have we been here long enough to show the artist how much we love his work?”

“I’d say we have. Let’s get out of here.” 

“Want to have dinner with Em and me?”

“I’d love to! You seem happy with him.”

“I am. He was fun to fuck around with, but he’s even better as a boyfriend. And it turns out I’m not a horrible one either. I’m making Kung Pao chicken, by the way.” 

“God, that sounds so good.”

“Justin.” Brian was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette and looking at his phone. 

Justin walked up to him. “Can I help you?”

“Stalk me if you want, but don’t expect me to be something I’m not.”

“And what would that be?”

“Someone who’s lost and needs rescuing.” 

“And I’m not a twink who spends my days following men around, hoping they’ll notice me.”

“Noted.”

“So?”

“I’m free for the rest of the night.” 

“I’m having dinner with Marcus and Emmett.” 

“Can I join you?”

“Ask Marcus. He’s doing the cooking.” 

Brian folded his lips inward and crushed the cigarette butt with his shoe. “Hey, Marcus, do you mind cooking for one more?”

Marcus looked at Justin, who nodded. “The more the merrier. Can we ride with you? We walked here.”

Brian pointed to his Jeep. “Jump in.” 

Justin studied Brian in the rearview mirror from the backseat while Marcus chatted with him. He promised himself a long time ago that he’d never fall for a straight guy, but what the hell do you do when the straight guy sends out vibes that make your whole being vibrate? 

Brian met Justin’s stare, holding it for a second too long before he turned his attention back to Marcus. 

\----------

“Emmett will join us soon. I’ll get started on the food.” 

“Do you need any help?”

“Nah, I’ve got it. There’s whisky in the living room.” 

Justin motioned for Brian to come with him and poured them each a drink. “Do you want one, Marcus?”

“Yes, please.” 

Justin and Brian sat next to each other, quietly nursing their drinks and staring straight ahead. 

“Did you read the latest issue of ArtForum?” Brian finally asked.

“Yep.” 

“Any thoughts on the article about new techniques versus old school?” 

Justin shrugged. “They’re trying to make it look like a big deal when it’s really not. Techniques are always changing, but talent won’t. Turning it into a battle is something the artists don’t even think about.” 

“I can think of a few artists who disagree with you.” 

“Who cares about them? I don’t paint to become an article in a magazine no matter how famous the reporter is. I’m just not interested in being a spectacle.” 

“I’d say you’ve succeeded.” 

“Thank you.” Justin held his glass out for a refill, quickly changing it into his left hand so he wouldn’t spill any when his right hand started to shake. Flexing it, he bit his lip hard until the cramp eased up. He was happy when Brian noticed but didn’t ask about it. Justin licked a drop of the golden liquid from his thumb, doing it again more slowly when he heard Brian’s intake of air. Looking up, he saw Brian’s dark eyes glued to his mouth. 

Brian moved closer to Justin and took his hand. “You missed one.” He brought it up to his mouth and slid his tongue over Justin’s smooth skin. 

Justin shivered slightly but held his hand perfectly still, waiting for Brian’s next move. He smiled when Brian linked their fingers together for a second before Marcus shouted from the kitchen that he needed help after all. Justin got up. “I’ll help him.” 

Brian took a moment to compose himself, then he strolled after him. 

“Can you open the wine?” Justin handed Brian the corkscrew. 

“Honey, I’m home!”

“We have company!” Marcus shouted towards the door. “Justin and—”

“Sunshine!” Emmett came crashing into the kitchen, ready to hug Justin. He stopped when he saw Brian. “Mr. Kinney, what are you doing here?”

“I followed these two home after an art show.” 

“Did you find anything you liked? No? Well, you should find one artist and stick with him.” Emmett shoved Justin in front of Brian. “I suggest this one.” 

“Stop it,” Justin hissed. 

“What, honey? You’re the biggest talent we have in the Pitts.” 

Brian smirked when Justin tried to get out of Emmett’s grip. 

“Seriously, check him out.” 

“I’ll make sure to do that,” Brian drawled. 

Justin shook his head and went back to setting the table. 

“So, Mr. Kinney.” 

“Brian.” 

“Have you considered extending your collection to sculptures?”

“Jesus Christ, Emmett! He’s not here to work or buy anything from either one of us.” 

“Okay.” Emmett leaned in and kissed Marcus. “Sorry.”

Justin whimpered when his hand cramped up again. Struggling not to drop the plates he’d just taken out of the cabinet, he was relieved when Brian reached out and grabbed them seconds before he lost his grip.

“Not again.” Marcus sighed. “Have you been drawing too much?”

“I got carried away last night. And yes, I know it’s stupid,” Justin added, glaring at Emmett. 

Brian slowly massaged Justin’s hand, trying to get his fingers to straighten out. “Better?” he mumbled. 

Justin nodded, groaning as he shook his hand in an attempt to bring it back to life. “Thanks.” 

“Anytime.”

“There’s garlic bread in the oven.”

“I’ll get it.” Emmett jumped up. “You’re totally spoiling me. I’ll have to go to the gym tomorrow.” 

“We could work it off tonight,” Marcus suggested. 

“You have the best ideas.” Emmett fell into Marcus’s arms as they started to make out. 

“Cut it out, guys,” Justin said. 

Brian noticed Justin flexing his hand again and sneaked his own over to him, gently pushing his thumb into Justin’s palm to get the kinks out. He placed his hand on Justin’s thigh for a second when he seemed to relax and then started to eat.

“Where do you work out, Brian?” Marcus asked.

“At home. I had a gym installed when we moved in.” 

“Great decision.” Emmett looked appreciatively at Brian’s body. “You should model for Marcus’s next sculpture.” 

Marcus gasped. “You promised to do it, Emmett! You look amazing naked.” 

“Thanks, babe, but this old body is nothing compared to the Greek god’s over there.”

Marcus decided to change the subject when Justin stared at them, clearly trying to get them to shut up. “Justin, when are you leaving for the London show?”

“In three days. I’ll be gone for almost two weeks, so I was hoping you could bring my mail in and water my plants.” 

“Sure.”

“He has so many interviews and events booked.” Emmett looked proud. 

“Good thing you’re such a people person,” Brian mocked Justin. 

“I wish I could come with you, but of course Teddy chose this month to get married.” 

“It’s okay, Em. You promised him you’d take care of everything a long time ago.” 

“Will you be there?” Marcus asked Brian.

“Where?”

“At the wedding.” 

“No. I guess you don’t invite your boss to your big day.” Brian turned to Justin. “How many are you showing?” 

“Twelve.”

“Not bad.” Brian clinked his glass with Justin’s. 

They offered to help clean up, but both Emmett and Marcus assured them they were happy to do it by themselves. 

Justin put his jacket on and waited for Brian so they could leave together. “My hand . . . it’s a long story involving a baseball bat and a homophobe.”

Brian winced at the pictures flashing before his eyes. “Your dad?”

“No, he just punched me in the face. If you’re interested, I’ll share the bat story with you one day.”

Brian leaned against his car. “Want a ride?”

“I live right over there.” Justin pointed to a building on the other side of the street. “And my studio is in the house next to Marcus’s apartment.”

“I’m going on a business trip to New York in a couple of weeks.” 

“Are you looking for new clients?”

“Just sucking up to the ones who are already on board.” Brian brushed a strand of Justin’s hair behind his ear. 

“Brian, what are we doing?” 

“Don’t.” Brian stepped closer and rested his forehead against Justin’s. “Don’t ask because I don’t know.” He ran his hands down Justin’s arms, gripping his hands when they met. 

Justin squeezed Brian’s fingers. Then he turned and walked away. 

\----------

“Gus!”

“Hi, Grandma Deb.” 

“To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Gus insisted on eating at that cool place again.”

“You’ve got good taste.” 

Gus nodded. “I want a hamburger and a glass of water.” He glared at Brian. “He only lets me drink Coke on Saturdays and Sundays.” 

Debbie shook her head at Gus, making sure he knew how bad she felt for him. “And you?”

“Egg white omelet with a side salad.” 

“Brian!” Mikey came running towards him. “What are you doing here?”

“Feeding my son.” 

“Oh, hi!” Michael waved at Gus. “I’m Michael.”

“I’m Gus.” 

“I knew your dad when he was young.” 

“Really?” Gus’s eyes glittered at the thought of learning secrets about his dad. 

“He was really smart in school, but he was also in a lot of trouble.” 

“He was?”

“Oh, yes! This one time he learned how to make synthetic—”

“Mikey!” Brian stopped him. “He’s too young for that particular story.” 

“Am not!”

Michael sensed trouble and changed direction. “I own a comic book store. Do you like comics?”

“Uh-huh. I can read them myself now.”

“I bet you can! Tell your dad to stop by if you want to check it out.” 

“Can we?” 

Brian thought about it for a second. “Yeah, why not?” 

“Okay, see you later. I have to get back.” Michael reached for his bag of take-out food from Debbie and got a slap on the back of his neck. “Ouch.” 

“That was for not calling last night.” 

“Sorry, Ma.”

Brian walked around the comic book store, listening to Michael and Gus chat about every issue they came across. When his cell rang, he prayed for Lindsay to tell him she was ready to call it a day so they could go back home. Instead, he saw Justin’s name flash on his screen and swiped his phone open. “How’s London treating you?”

“I’m bored out of my mind and trying to get drunk on cheap wine in the hotel room.” 

“Good luck with that.” 

“I sold out.” 

“No surprise there.” 

“What are you doing?”

“Spending time with Gus at the Red Cape.” 

“The comic book store?”

“Yeah, Mikey owns it.” 

“Having fun?”

“Gus is in heaven.”

“Okay, talk to you later.” 

“Was it Mom?” 

“No. It was Justin.” 

Gus nodded at Brian and then ran off towards the comics on the opposite wall.

Michael looked up from the comic book he was engrossed in. “Justin Taylor?”

“Yeah.”

“I saw you dancing at Babylon. You looked like you fit right in. Just like when we were kids.”

“I guess some things never change.” 

“You danced with Justin?” Gus asked.

“And hundreds of other people.” 

“Like you and Mom danced at that wedding party we went to?”

“Nothing like that.” Brian looked at the stack of magazines on the floor. “Have you found a favorite?”

“Supergirl and Captain Astro.” Gus waved them at him.

“Captain Astro? Didn’t they cancel him?”

“They did,” Michael said. “It was a sad day. They brought him back, though. It’s not as good as the original, but at least it’s something.” 

“I’ll take those two.” Brian went for his wallet. 

“Oh, no. Here.” Michael handed them to Gus. “You don’t have to pay for them.” 

“Thank you!” 

“Thanks, Mikey.” Brian squeezed his shoulder. “I’m happy to see you followed your dream.” 

Michael beamed up at him. “Mom said she wanted to invite you over for Sunday night dinner soon.” 

“We’ll see, okay?”

“Okay!”

The bell above the door chimed, and Em and Ted walked in. “Hello!”

“Theodore.” 

“Boss.” 

“Brian! And who is this?” Emmett waved at Gus. 

“I’m Gus.” 

“Nice to meet you, Gus.”

Brian’s cell beeped. Lindsay finally wanted to be picked up. “We have to go.”

Gus looked around the store one more time, not ready to part with it just yet. 

“You can come back anytime you like.” Michael did his best to cheer him up. “Where are your shoes?” 

“Over here.” Gus walked behind the counter and picked them up. 

“Brian, Justin sold out,” Emmett said.

“He told me.” Brian struggled to get Gus to hurry up and stop finding excuses to stay. He relaxed when they were finally out the door and he could light a cigarette. 

“Interesting.” Emmett’s face glowed with excitement. 

“What now?” Ted braced himself for another one of Emmett’s theories.

“Justin told him he sold out.” 

“So what? They’re friends.” 

“They had dinner with Marcus and me before Justin left.” 

“Does that mean something? Maybe that they both eat?”

“I don’t know. They seem to fit together so perfectly. Like they naturally fuse into one. The raw energy between them almost set the tablecloth on fire.” Emmett looked up and met two pairs of eyes staring at him. “What?”

“Brian is happily married,” Michael said. 

“Is he?”

Ted nodded. “To Lindsay.” 

“But is he happy?”

“Well, he didn’t seem unhappy. Oh, crap!” Michael clasped his hands over his mouth. “He was in a shitty mood until Justin called.” 

“See! I knew it.”

“Okay, everyone calm down.” Ted waited until Emmett and Michael stopped chattering. “All we know so far is that Brian is married to a woman, he’s got a kid, and never in all the years I’ve worked for him has he shown even the slightest interest in guys.” 

“Maybe because he hadn’t met the right one yet, and now he has!” 

“I give up. Just don’t go around telling people he’s in the closet.” 

“Of course, not. You’re not people. You’re family.” Emmett forced them into a group hug. “So, who’s up for a night of pool at Woody’s?” 

“Don’t you have a wedding to take care of in the morning?” 

“Shush. I’ve got it all under control. Come on, one last night of freedom with your old pals?”

“I kind of want to spend it with Blake.”

“God, it’s already happened. He’s leaving us, Michael. The Teddy we love and care for is gone forever.”

Ted patiently took his phone out and told Blake to meet them at Woody’s for a very quick game of pool. “Happy now?” Seconds later, he was twirled around the store by an overly excited Emmett.


	7. Chapter 7

Lindsay saw Brian’s car outside and hurried to put the groceries away. Walking upstairs to find him, she stopped at their bedroom door and felt the hope of a cozy evening with her husband die. “What are you doing?” 

“Packing my overnight bag. I’m sleeping at the loft tonight.” 

“But why? You just got back from New York. We’ve missed you so much.”

“I told you about the late meeting with my art department when you called yesterday, didn’t I?” 

“Oh, right. I guess I forgot.” 

Brian took a suit out of the wardrobe and draped it over his arm. “I’ll be home for dinner tomorrow.” 

“Gus will be sad you’re gone when he gets home.” 

“I just called Amy’s mom and had her put Gus on the phone. I explained why I had to go, and he reminded me to unpack his gift before I leave again.” 

Lindsay and Brian smiled at each other for a split second. Their son showed no shame when it came to taking bribes.

“Did you get him anything?”

“Yeah.” Brian swung a bag from a toy store in front of her. 

“You’re a great dad.” Lindsay hugged him tightly. “He’s lucky to have you in his life. We both are.” 

Brain patted her back. “I have to go.” 

Lindsay sighed when Brian was out the door minutes later. He really was a good dad, and Gus was the happiest child she knew. She’d hoped his happiness would be enough to keep them together as a family, but she was feeling as though they were going the opposite way lately. She couldn’t blame Brian alone. She knew she’d become boring and had gotten further away from the person she’d once been with each passing year. 

Knowing from the start that living with Brian wouldn’t be easy, Lindsay had been so in love that she was sure it would work itself out. Melanie warned her not to use her power of persuasion and knowledge of Brian’s weak spots to make him marry her. Maybe she should have listened to Mel back then? Lindsay missed the old Brian. The one she knew before they married and he buried himself in his work. Even worse, she missed her old self, too.

Lying down on the bed, Lindsay fell asleep with her head on Brian’s tee shirt. She didn’t wake up until Gus sat down next to her. “Hi, honey.” 

“Are you sick?”

“No, I just got really tired.” 

“Look what Dad got me.” Gus held up a new train for his train set. “It’s the one I’ve wanted for so long.” He beamed as he showed her all the cool things it could do. “My TV died.” 

“Let’s have a look at it.” Lindsay walked into Gus’s room and crouched in front of the very dead TV. She had no idea how to fix it, but she jiggled some cables around and pressed the on/off button a couple of times, exhaling when the picture lit up. 

Gus cheered and asked if she wanted to be the blue guy in the boxing game. 

“Sure!” Lindsay started to think she spent too little time playing with him and too much time being a controlling mother when Gus looked up in surprise. “Hold on. I’ll get us some snacks for dinner.” 

“Really?” He grinned when she nodded yes. “Awesome.”

\----------

Brian’s meeting ended much earlier than he’d anticipated. He thought about going back home to spend time with Gus before his bedtime, but when he called Lindsay and heard they were in the middle of a very intense tournament involving several different games he decided to stay in the city. Before he had a chance to stop himself, Brian picked up his phone again and sent Justin a text asking what he was doing. 

The reply came within minutes. Brian stared at his phone, reading that Justin was at Woody’s. He could either ignore the message and make it an early night, or he could throw everything he knew overboard. Glancing at the picture of Gus next to his computer, he slowly stood up. 

A half an hour later, Brian crossed the street and walked up the steps to Woody’s. When he saw the smile lighting up Justin’s face, he knew he’d taken the right road. At least for that night. 

“Hey!”

“Hey, yourself. How was London?”

“British. How was New York?”

“Hectic. I had the opportunity to meet with a couple of new companies after all.”

“Did you land any accounts?” 

“Two of them wanted my services, and the ones who have been with me for years didn’t seem interested in leaving me.” 

“Tell me more about them.” Justin sat down and kicked a chair out for Brian. He saw Marcus and the others watching from the bar, but he ignored them. He’d fucking missed Brian, and he was truly interested in his business. 

Brian appreciated Justin’s questions and liked the fact that Justin didn’t just smile and nod like most people did when he talked about his work. Justin challenged him to think in different directions, even questioning one of his client choices and asking if he’d been stoned when he signed the contract. 

“God, I haven’t been stoned in much too long.” Brian drifted off in thought, making Justin laugh. 

“I can change that.” 

“You can?”

“Sure. Come on.” 

Once outside, Justin stuck a joint between his lips and let Brian light it for him. He took a drag before he handed it to Brian, who moaned when he took his first hit. 

Walking down Liberty Avenue, they talked about what they wanted next in their careers. Brian laughed outright at something Justin said, taking a second to think when he’d last done that with anyone. Their hands touched as they passed a second joint back and forth, and Brian glanced down at his fingers to see if the burning sensation he felt from Justin’s skin was a visible mark or just in his head. A moment of sorrow came over him when there was nothing there. Deciding he’d had enough to smoke for now, Brian steered them into a park, where they stood side by side for awhile listening to a guy play the violin before continuing further into the park. 

“Look at these colors, Brian. Really look at them.” Justin spun around in the fallen leaves. “I’ve never painted a forest. I should, though. That might be my next project. Forget what I said about wanting to have a show in Rome. What I want is to find the exact right color of red for the leaves. I should take some home with me.” Bending down to collect them, Justin was stopped when Brian took a hold of his arm. 

“Come here.” Brian sat down on a bench and pulled Justin in between his legs. 

“Hey!” Justin stumbled to get his balance, then he just stood there and watched Brian’s face as Brian closed his eyes and ran his hands up and down Justin’s thighs. Justin was about to back away when Brian started talking. 

“I’ve never cheated on Lindsay.” 

“That’s good.” 

“I don’t believe in love. Never have. Probably never will.” 

“You don’t love your wife?”

“I love my kid.” Brian smiled when he mentioned Gus, making Justin’s heart miss a beat. “I shouldn’t have married her. In fact, I shouldn’t marry at all.”

“So why did you?”

“She’s always been good at talking me into things.” Brian’s fingers found Justin’s. “But I’m not blaming her. I could have said no. She was my best friend, and we were young. I didn’t know better.” He peered up at Justin. “I’m basically just listing clichés, aren’t I?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Brian rolled his lips in and waited for Justin to meet his stare. “You shouldn’t be the reason we break up.”

Justin took a step backward. “I understand.” He squeezed Brian’s hand and let go of it. 

“Stay.” 

“You’re giving me mixed signals here.” 

“Sit.” 

“Yes, sir,” Justin purred, making sure to keep some distance between them. 

“I don’t want to use you just to get this out of my system.” 

Justin swallowed hard. He actually had no problem with being used for that cause. “You’re overthinking this.” 

“I am?”

“Uh-huh. It doesn’t have to be life or death. If you don’t want to cheat on your wife, fine. I get that. If you want us to continue being friends, great. I’d love to. And if you want to explore your gay side, I’m right here.” 

Brian’s head snapped up. 

“What I mean is that I know the difference between sex and love. A fuck is just a fuck if you don’t want it to be anything more.” 

Leaning closer, Brian traced Justin’s lips with the pad of his thumb then put a hand behind his neck and softly kissed him. 

They lingered with their foreheads pressed together for what seemed like an eternity. When they finally stood up, Brian slung his arm around Justin’s shoulder and slowly walked them back out to the street.

“Wanna come with me to the loft?”

“Yes.” 

“You really are easy.” 

“I know!”

\----------

Brian poured a drink for each of them and set one of the glasses down in front of Justin. Then he started to pace the floor while he smoked a cigarette. 

Justin watched him for awhile before he turned the TV on and searched through the channels. Finding a movie, he kept one eye on the screen and the other one on Brian, who seemed to be doing some heavy thinking over by the window. Justin finally got up and walked over to him. “I can leave.”

“No.”

“How about joining me over there?”

Brian drew Justin into his chest and held him close for a long time, then he followed him to the sofa. He threaded his fingers through Justin’s hair as they curled up together, Justin’s heavy head resting against his arm. “Are you tired?”

“Yeah.” Justin stretched and cuddled closer. “I need to go before I fall asleep.” 

“I can get you a blanket.” 

“Don’t tempt me. This sofa is fucking cozy.” Justin burrowed further down into it and closed his eyes again. 

“So, the blanket?”

“Yes, please.” 

Brian draped it over him and handed him a pillow. 

“Thanks for letting me stay,” Justin mumbled. 

Brian watched him drift off to sleep. He turned the lights out and locked the door, needing all of his self-control not to join Justin on the couch when he walked by him again. 

Early in the morning, Justin tiptoed into the bathroom, wincing as he knocked his elbow against the wall. He noticed Brian was awake when he came back out. “Sorry if I woke you.” Justin rubbed his arm. “God, it’s freezing in here.”

Brian lifted a corner of the cover, silently inviting him under it. 

Hesitating for a second, Justin crawled in next to Brian. “So much better than the sofa! What time is it?”

“Six thirty.” 

“I have to be up at nine.” 

Brian set the alarm, both of them sound asleep again within minutes. His arm was resting across Justin’s back and his nose was buried in Justin’s hair when the alarm woke them up. “Want to take a shower?”

“Yeah.” 

“I’ll get you a towel.” Brian’s lips touched Justin’s earlobe before he rolled away from him. 

Justin turned to watch Brian’s naked body, the sculpted muscles in his back and his perfectly shaped ass. He stretched and went to turn on the shower. 

“Nice,” Brian said, cocking an eyebrow at Justin’s hard-on. 

“I woke up next to the Face Of God. What’s your excuse?”

“I walked by a mirror.” 

Justin giggled as he stepped into the shower stall. Looking at Brian’s array of expensive as hell shampoo bottles, he felt like he was in gay heaven. He took his time sniffing all of them then quickly washed off and got dressed. 

Rummaging through his fridge and freezer, Brian came up empty-handed. “Unless you want vodka and strawberry jam, I suggest you settle for coffee.” He gestured towards the cups before he went to take a shower, noticing that Justin had made the bed and fixed up the sofa when he came back out. Brian found him strolling around and drinking his coffee, looking at the things in the loft. He picked up his briefcase. “I have fifteen minutes until my first meeting. Are you ready to leave?”

Justin shook his head when they ran down the stairs and Brian asked if he wanted a ride. “I can use the walk. Go and be brilliant.”

Brian bent down to nuzzle Justin’s cheek. “Your skin smells like my soap. It’s a fucking turn-on.”


	8. Chapter 8

Cynthia waited outside of Brian’s office, her posture clearly indicating that she wasn’t happy about his tardiness. She handed him a cup of coffee and tapped her foot impatiently while she waited for him to leave his briefcase and put on his jacket. 

He took a sip and made a face. “It’s fucking cold.”

“That’s strange. It was scalding hot when I made it twenty minutes ago.”

“I take it the client is here already?” 

“What tipped you off?”

The glares they shot each other while walking to the meeting room changed into professional smiles when they opened the door. Brian nodded at Cynthia when he saw that she’d prepared everything in advance. All he had to do was woo the client’s pants off. 

“Your next meeting is in thirty minutes.” 

“Hold my calls.” Brian shut his office door and fired up his computer. He stared at the list of emails downloading and honestly attempted to read all of them, but his thoughts drifted off to the night before. He’d fucking kissed a guy, not to mention cuddled with him in front of the TV like some desperate teenager. At least he didn’t fuck him. 

How he wished he had. 

\-----------

Justin walked through the streets to his apartment. He tried to collect his thoughts for the scheduled phone interview he’d give in an hour, but scenes of the previous night playing out before his eyes continually interrupted him. Finally at home, he sat at his kitchen table with a sketchpad and a pen, waiting for the phone to ring. He smiled when he realized he was drawing Brian’s hand. Remembering how Brian’s long fingers had been stroking his naked back as he woke up, Justin shivered, absently grabbing his phone when it rang. He slid it open. “Hello?” 

“This is Simon Caswell from ArtForum.” 

“Oh, right. Hi.”

“Thank you for taking the time to give us another interview.” 

“Sure. No problem.” Justin listened to the reporter talk about his London show. He hummed every now and then to let him know he was still there while he drew two men pressed up against a tree, obviously involved in a heavy make-out session. 

“So, Mr. Taylor, are you still set on not moving to New York to take over the art world?” 

“Yeah, that won’t happen. Not now, anyway.” Justin sketched Brian’s shower, which was just the right size for two people by his estimations. 

“So you might move there later on in your career?” There was a sliver of hope in the reporter’s voice, as if he were sensing a scoop.

Justin rolled his eyes at the phone. “I can’t say it’ll never happen, but it’s highly unlikely. There are other cities and countries to explore if I ever get tired of my life here.” A picture of the bench with Brian’s spread-apart legs and Justin’s own legs between them formed on the sketchpad. Justin dropped his pen and focused on the rest of the interview when he heard a sigh on the other end of the phone. If nothing else, it would make Emmett happy to see the finished article. 

“Anything more you can tell me about your current work?”

“I’ve recently discovered that I enjoy painting miniatures.”

“Really? That’s interesting. Are you planning to exhibit them?”

“I’m not quite there yet.” The truth was he would never put them in a show. The three he’d painted so far were all of Brian and himself, the last two depicting them in a more obvious way than the one hanging in the loft. Justin told the reporter about a show he was scheduled to have in New York the following year and replied to the questions that revelation evoked.

“Okay, I think we’re done here. Again, thank you.” 

Justin hung up and stared at the drawings he’d made. 

God, he was so in love with that man. 

\----------

“Hello!” Gus waved at Michael and walked straight over to the wall where his new favorite comic was stacked. He picked out several issues and placed himself in the middle of the floor. 

Michael looked around for his parents. “You didn’t run away or anything, did you?”

“No. They’re over there.” Gus pointed to a car across the street. “They told me to tell you they’ll be here in a minute.” 

“Okay, great!” Michael sat down next to Gus. “So you liked Supergirl better than Captain Astro?”

“Uh-huh. She’s much cooler.” Gus looked at Michael and blushed a little. “Dad said Captain Astro was your favorite when you were growing up. I guess he’s cool, too.” 

Michael patted Gus's head. “That’s okay. We all like different things.” Picking up a comic book, he lost himself in the story until the bell above the door jangled and Brian came in with a woman in tow. He went over and hugged him, then he turned to the woman. “Hi, I’m Michael.” 

“I’m Lindsay. It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She noticed all the comics surrounding her son on the floor. “I’m sorry about this mess! I’ll help you clean it up.” 

“Don’t worry about it. There’s no better way to read comics than sitting on the floor.”

“This place looks really great.” Lindsay smiled at Michael. “You’re lucky to have your interest as your work.” 

“I really am. What do you do?”

“I worked at a gallery before I got pregnant. I loved it there. Loved being surrounded by paintings and people in the art world who all shared my interest.” 

“Is that where you met Brian?”

“No, we met in college. We hung out with the same gang and quickly became close friends. One thing led to another, and now we have our own little family.” 

Michael glanced at Brian, who was over by the counter looking like he wanted to run away screaming. “Maybe you can go back to work if you miss it?”

“That’s what I’ve been telling her for years,” Brian muttered. 

“Taking care of our home is more than enough for me.” Lindsay laughed a little. “Most nights I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow.” She crouched down by Gus to see something he wanted to show her. 

Brian pointed at the leaflets Michael kept by the cash register. “Who the hell made these?”

“I did, with Ben’s help.” 

“You should get a professional to do them for you.” 

“I could never afford that! They’re okay, though, don’t you think? At least the store hours are on them. That’s the most important information.” 

“If you say so.” Brian folded one neatly and dropped it in his pocket. 

“I’m meeting everyone at Woody’s after work,” Michael said. “Do you guys wanna come?” 

“Oh, Brian, that sounds like fun! Gus is going to spend the night with Amy, so we’re free to have an evening out.” 

Brian looked at both Lindsay’s and Michael’s begging eyes. “I have work.” 

“You can take one night off, can’t you, honey?”

Michael took Brian’s arm. “Please, Brian. It’s been so long since we’ve hung out at the bars on Liberty Avenue. Come on! Say yes!”

Shrugging him off, Brian adjusted his sunglasses. “We’ll be there at seven.” 

\----------

“I’m so happy we’re doing this!” Lindsay snuggled closer to Brian under the umbrella, trying to get out of the pouring rain. “Michael seems like a real sweetheart.”

Brian watched her climb the steps to Woody’s in front of him, noticing her new skirt and that she was wearing her favorite high heels. “Nice outfit,” he remarked, stopping inside the door as they removed their coats. 

“Thank you!” Lindsay beamed up at him. “I didn’t know what to wear, but I hope this is okay.” 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Looking around, Brian found Michael and Ben talking to Marcus and Emmett. He steered Lindsay their way only to feel Michael’s arms wrapped around his neck a moment later. Brian eyed all the guys in the bar while Lindsay got acquainted with everyone, but he didn’t see the one he was searching for. 

Turning to Emmett after they picked up their drinks, Brian thought he was without a doubt the most colorful agent he’d ever met and probably the most interesting as well. Soon caught up in a lively discussion with him about local artists, Brian nodded when Emmett somehow starting talking about his extensive collection and admitted he’d give his left arm to take a closer look at it. “We can probably find a way to make that to happen.” 

“That would be so great!” Emmett did a happy little dance as he sat down. “I know I’ve said it before, but Justin’s art is outstanding. As you know, we have a lot of incredibly talented artists here in our little slice of heaven, but he’s better than everyone else. I can’t really say what makes him special, although I’ve been trying to figure it out for years. When you see his paintings next to other artists’ work, you can just tell they’re his.”

“He’s telling a story.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“He isn’t just painting a picture. He’s telling a story.” 

Emmett batted his eyelashes at Brian. “You really get him, don’t you?” 

“I don’t . . .”

“His art, I mean. Oh, and there he is!” Emmett pointed towards the bar, where Justin was shaking the raindrops out of his hair. “I’ll go get him.” 

“I’ll go.” Marcus had been following their conversation in silence, getting up before Em could stop him and tapping Justin on the shoulder. “Hey.”

“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight. Is Emmett here, too?”

“Yeah. Listen, Brian is here with his wife. They took Gus to the comic shop today. Apparently, Michael talked them into coming here tonight.” 

“I see.” 

“He’s not looking super happy about being here.” 

Justin shrugged. He wasn’t so fucking happy about it either. 

“Wanna join us?”

“I really don’t.” Justin picked up his glass and turned towards them. “I guess I should at least say hi.” 

“You don’t have to if it makes you feel uncomfortable.” 

“Of course it makes me uncomfortable. The guy kissed me just weeks ago. Among other things.”

Marcus’s head whipped around. “What things?”

“Nothing.” 

“No. No, you have to tell me.”

“I spent the night at his apartment. On the sofa,” Justin added before Marcus had a chance to ask. “Well, I might have made my way into his bed for a couple of hours in the morning. We didn’t fuck, though.” 

“Justin, this is . . . I don’t know. It’s huge!”

“Look, it’s complicated. I guess I can sum it up by saying we’re struggling to not give in to each other.”

“Maybe you should.”

“He’s married to a woman, and he’s got a kid.” 

“But you have feelings for him?”

“No.”

Marcus studied Justin’s face. He saw that it wasn’t necessarily the truth. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

“Hi, sweetie.” Emmett hugged Justin’s arm. “Have you met everyone?”

“Yes, I have.” Justin smiled at Lindsay when she jumped up and shook his hand. “Nice to see you again, Mrs. Kinney.”

“Please, call me Lindsay.” 

Michael grabbed a chair from the next table and made everyone move around to make space for Justin. 

“I’ve hardly talked to you since you came back from London,” Emmett told him. “I hope you saw the reviews I sent you?”

“I got them. Thanks.”

“But did you read them?”

“No.” 

Lindsay turned her full attention to Justin. “You don’t want to see what the critics have to say about your work?” 

“Critics aren’t the ones buying my art and paying my bills.” 

“I guess not. But still, what they think of you must be important to you?” 

“Not really, no. I don’t see it like that.” 

Lindsay looked at Brian, who was busy peeling the label off of his beer bottle. “What do you think, honey?”

“That he’s got it figured out.” 

“Your painting looks really great in our collection. Brian wouldn’t change the red frame, though. It took him forever to figure out how to get it to fit in with the others.” 

“I was told that had been a problem.” 

“Why didn’t you just put it in another frame?” Michael asked. 

“Because it was red for a reason.” Brian watched Justin nod in agreement. Then he pushed his chair back. “I’m buying another round. Help me carry them?” he asked Justin. 

“Uhm, yeah.” 

“Michael and Lindsay ganged up against me at the comic shop today,” Brian said while they stood at the bar, waiting for the bartender to notice them.

“Marcus told me.” 

“I didn’t know you’d be here.” 

“I hadn’t planned on it, but I got some free time when my hand decided I’d painted enough for the day.” 

Brian sneaked his hand over to Justin’s and massaged it. “Does it hurt?”

“Not right now.” Justin squeezed Brian’s fingers between his. “She seems nice.”

“She’s a great mom to Gus.”

Justin took his hand back. “You don’t have to pretend you’re not happy with her.” 

“Who says I’m pretending?” Brian grabbed Justin’s fingers again and continued to stroke them gently. 

“Well, there has to be some reason why you’re staying.” Justin took a step away from Brian. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this. Not tonight.” He saw nothing but understanding in Brian’s face. “Tell the others I had to leave, will you?”

“I’ll take care of it.” Brian watched Justin make his way towards the door and saw a young man stop him and whisper something in his ear. He winced when Justin nodded at the guy, leaving with him as he slung an arm around Justin’s waist. 

Cursing under his breath, Brian had to stop himself from shouting at the bartender when he finally decided it was his turn to order. He made two trips to the table with the drinks and set his own bottle down so hard that beer spilled out of it. “Fuck! I need a smoke.”

Once outside, Brian tried to clear his head. Staring down Liberty Avenue, he ignored the rain falling on him, the same questions nagging at his brain over and over. How do you keep your distance from someone who’s on your exact frequency? When the slightest shift in tune makes your whole world stumble, causing you to reach out to still it? To still him from moving in a direction you can't follow?


	9. Chapter 9

Justin woke up at noon, feeling in his stomach that something was wrong. He sat up and leaned backward against the wall, grunting when he remembered the previous night’s disaster. The trick he brought home hadn’t exactly been great in bed, and he’d probably been a bit rough in making him leave when he was done with him. Justin hesitated for a minute and then checked his phone, not too surprised to find no new messages. After eating a late lunch in front of the TV, he decided to make the best of his mood and walked over to his studio. 

Propping a canvas up on the easel, Justin brought out his darkest colors and began to paint without much thought. When his brush started to look worn out, he paused to relax his fingers so he wouldn’t work himself into a cramp. Then he took a step back and looked at what he’d created. He had to laugh at the thunderstorm in front of him. It didn’t take an expert to see that he’d put all his feelings into it. 

Justin placed that canvas in the corner of his studio to dry and went to work on a painting he’d started awhile back. He switched to a brush with a thinner tip and forced himself into a better place, not wanting to mess up what he hoped would be one of his masterpieces. Cleaning up his studio hours later, he returned home for a long, hot shower. 

He frowned when he heard the doorbell ring just as he was about to get dressed. “Who is it?”

“Me.” 

Justin opened the door and stared at Brian, who stood outside with bags of take-out food and a six-pack of beer in his hands. 

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.” 

“I hope you’re hungry.”

“I could eat.” Justin nodded when Brian asked if he wanted a beer. After they set the table in silence, he dove into the container of fried chicken and rice, ignoring Brian’s advice to slow down so he wouldn’t choke. “How did you know where I live?” 

“You pointed out your house to me when we had dinner with Marcus and Emmett.” 

“Right.”

“You left with a guy yesterday.”

Justin laid his chopsticks down and took a swig of his beer. “And you went home to spend the night with your wife.” 

“Did you fuck him?”

“Did you fuck her?”

“Justin.” 

“Yeah, I fucked him twice before I kicked him out. What about you?”

“It’s been . . . awhile.” Brian stood up after they stared at their plates for a few minutes and picked at their food. “Let’s put this away.” He stored the containers of food in the fridge while Justin loaded the dishwasher, both of them glancing at each other but neither sure where to go from there. 

Justin finally motioned for Brian to follow him into the living room. “Do you want another beer?” Not waiting for a reply, he went back to the kitchen and returned with two cans. He saw Brian spread out on the sofa. 

“Come here.” Brian took the beers and set them on the table. Then he positioned Justin down between his legs and drew him close enough to kiss him. “Fucking irresistible.” 

Justin’s hand traced over Brian’s shoulders and down to his chest. “You should really think about letting Marcus make a sculpture of your body.” He leaned in to kiss him again. 

“So you can buy it and put it in your studio for inspiration?” Brian tilted his head back when Justin pecked his neck. 

“Yeah, that’s exactly what’s missing in there.” Justin licked a long swipe from Brian’s ear to his throat and smiled at the sound he made. He gently sucked the skin on his collarbone, careful not to bruise him, then he slid his tongue over Brian’s lips. 

“Fuck, you’re good at that.” Brian adjusted his pants, glaring when Justin laughed at him. “Never make fun of a hard-on.” 

“I promise not to touch it unless you want me to.” 

“It’s not that I don’t want you to. I want it. I want you. So fucking much it’s driving me insane.” Brian slid both of their hands down to his crotch and placed them on his cock. He gasped and pushed his hips slightly upwards as he felt the warmth, moaning softly when Justin added more pressure. Brian let himself enjoy it for a minute, then he brought Justin’s hand up to his chest and kissed his knuckles. 

Justin looked at Brian. A little annoyed at being interrupted, he calmed down when Brian’s stare begged him not to make a big deal out of it. He laid his hand back on Brian’s chest and felt his heart pounding hard. “Wanna go to Babylon?”

“Now?”

“It’s still kind of early, but that just means there’s more space for us on the dance floor!” Justin stood up and pulled Brian with him. 

Brian interlaced his fingers with Justin’s. “Thanks for not saying anything.”

“It’s okay. I get it. You’re the one who’s risking something here, not me.” 

\----------

Walking straight onto Babylon’s dance floor a half hour later, Brian turned to face Justin, rolled his lips in, and put his arms around Justin’s shoulders. Drawing him up against himself as they began to sway to the music, Brian’s fingers lost themselves in Justin’s hair. He rested his forehead against Justin’s and bent his knees slightly, hearing Justin swallow a groan as their dicks pushed together. Two songs later, Brian’s body trembled against Justin’s. “Fuck this!” he growled, steering them off the dance floor and towards the staircase. 

“Where are we going?”

Brian ignored Justin and continued into the dimly lit corner. He trapped him against the wall, his hands on either side of Justin’s head. 

“What are you doing?” 

Kissing him gently, Brian then drew back to look at him as he wedged his thigh between Justin’s legs. 

Justin’s face flushed as the heat spread through his body. He shifted slightly to rub his dick against Brian. “Oh, God!” His grip on Brian’s hips tightened. 

“Keep going.” Brian urged him on, rocking slowly with Justin’s moves. His own cock trapped between them, he felt it swell against the fabric of his jeans. Meeting Justin’s stare, he saw his eyes starting to glaze over. “Feel good?”

“Uh-huh.” Justin’s hands slid behind Brian’s ass, pulling him closer. “Fuck, I’m horny,” he mumbled. 

Brian tilted Justin’s head up, hesitating for a second and then kissing him deeply. He pulled back and licked Justin’s swollen lips before he plunged his tongue back into his mouth, so aroused he was ready to get off. Holding Justin’s waist, Brian pressed their dicks together rhythmically. 

“Wait.” Justin tried to still him. “It’s too good.” 

“That’s the plan.” Brian kissed Justin again, forcing his orgasm back when Justin sucked on his tongue. “You’re fucking lethal.” 

Justin’s hand sneaked down between them and stroked the length of Brian’s dick. “I’d love to deepthroat you.” 

“Oh, fuck.” 

“Play with your balls and rim you until you beg me to let you come. I want to taste your cum.” Justin smiled as a wet patch formed on Brian’s pants. He squeezed him harder. “It makes me so fucking hot to think about you pounding me.” 

“Justin. . .” Brian sighed, losing control of himself when he felt Justin’s cock pulsating against his own. “Holy shit. That was hot.” He looked appreciatively at Justin. “You’re naughty.” 

“I’m doing my best to please you, sir,” Justin said, earning a slap on his ass.

“We should get cleaned up.” 

“Come on.” Justin led them into the bathroom. “Are you sleeping at the loft tonight?” he asked from the stall next next to Brian’s.

“No.” Brian leaned his head against the door and closed his eyes. “We’re going on vacation tomorrow morning.” 

“Oh.” Justin was quiet for a moment. “Where are you going?”

“Skiing in Vermont.” 

“That sounds like fun.” Justin zipped up his pants and left the stall, waiting for Brian. 

Brian slung his arm around Justin’s waist as they walked out of the club. “Look, I . . . it’s not . . .” he started but cut himself off. 

Justin waited for Brian to sort out his thoughts. 

“It’s different with you.” 

“Good different or bad different?”

“Definitely good. It’s never like that, you know. I don’t . . .” 

“You don’t come in your pants on a daily basis?”

“I don’t come in my pants, period. Except with you.” 

“Aww, you make me feel all special,” Justin mocked him. “Call me when you get back.” 

“We’ll see.” 

Justin raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Okay.” 

“Bye.” 

Bye? What the hell happened to 'Later'? Was this it? One mind-blowing orgasm and they were over? God, straight people were confusing. Justin relaxed when his cell phone went off and he saw Marcus’s name on the display. “Please tell me you want to get drunk and listen to my pathetic problems.” 

“I wanna get drunk and listen to your pathetic problems.” 

“Thank God! Where are you?”

“Here.” Marcus tapped Justin’s shoulder. 

“Were you in there?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t see you.”

“Too busy humping Brian?”

Justin closed his eyes. “You saw that, did you?” 

“Honey, everyone saw you.” 

“Shit!” 

“Calm down. I’m just fucking with you. But thanks for proving me right.” 

“No one saw us?” 

“Not that I know of. Where were you?”

“In the really dark corner under the stairs. I didn’t see anyone near us, but I kind of got lost in the moment and didn’t check to see if we were alone the whole time.”

“Did you fuck?”

“No! We just, well, got off.” Justin wrinkled his nose. “I guess you’d have to be there to see the romantic side of it.”

“You came in your pants? How very teenagey of you.” 

“Do we have to talk about it out here on the street?”

“Let’s go over to your place and get you out of these clothes.” 

“Thanks.” 

\----------

Marcus skipped the booze. He made tea and sandwiches instead while Justin took a shower, ordering him to talk through the night while they ate. He smiled at the excitement in Justin’s voice. “It sounds like you two had a great night.”

“We did.” Then the tone in Justin’s voice changed and he hung his head.

“Why the grumpy face?”

“I don’t think he wants to see me again.” 

“You know he’s straight. Even if he’s doing his best to prove himself wrong. Maybe, for reasons I can’t understand, he’s decided he wants his wife instead of you.” 

Fuck, it hurt to hear that out loud. Justin took a bite of his sandwich to hide his feelings.

“Maybe tonight and the previous months leading up to it were all he could give you without stepping over some line he might have drawn up.” 

“Stupid line,” Justin muttered. “He’s a great kisser, by the way.” 

“Did he seem to enjoy it?”

“He came with his tongue down my throat. We’ve kissed before, but not like that.” 

“So it was a night of firsts! He’s not leaving you, he’s just freaking out. He’ll be back for more.” 

“He’s going on vacation with his family tomorrow.” 

“That will give him time to miss you.” 

“Or to realize he doesn’t want me.” 

“Listen, I want you to know I see it. I see your connection. It’s not just in your head. It’s like looking at two pieces of a puzzle that just fit together.” 

Justin buried his head in his hands. 

“Go for it, Justin. He’s your chance of a lifetime.”

\----------

Justin’s heart skipped a beat when he heard Brian’s voice on the phone. “Hey!”

“I’m freezing my ass off, sitting on the balcony smoking pot.” 

Justin listened to him breathe. 

“It’s less fun.” 

“What is?”

“Pot alone.” 

Justin huffed out a laugh. “Poor you. What would you be doing if I were there?”

“First of all, we’d be inside like normal people. We might even be sitting on the floor in front of the fire, smoking and drinking.” 

“Crazy.” 

“Uh-huh. I don’t sit on the floor with just anyone.” 

“I’m flattered.” 

“You should be. Meet me at the diner on Monday morning. I want your input on something.” 

“What is it?”

“Patience. So, you’re dreaming of deep throating me?”

Justin’s breath caught in his throat at the direction their conversation was taking. “Can’t wait to bury my nose in your pubes.” 

“Holy fuck,” Brian mumbled. He took another hit of his joint. “I need to stop.” 

“Stop what?”

“Jerking off while I’m thinking about you.” 

“Have you really done that?”

“Only every fucking time I touch my dick. And believe me, I touch it as often as possible.” 

“I would too if I had it attached to my crotch.”

“There’s nothing wrong with yours.” 

“I know. It works perfectly well, and I’m quite fond of it.” 

Fuck, talking about cocks wasn’t really helping Brian. “Anyway, I jerk off and I shouldn’t because everytime I come, I see your face.” He hung up and crushed the end of the joint under his heel. Looking down on the street for a second, Brian estimated just how flat he’d become if he jumped. He shook his head and went inside to take a long fucking shower that wouldn’t lead to fantasizing about Justin’s cock sucking skills. 

Ever since the morning he’d awakened next to Justin, he found himself beating off in every fucking bathroom he entered, not to mention in his office and on every surface in the loft. He had a constant hard-on no matter how many times he came. The night before, he woke up from a dream ready to shoot. He’d flopped over onto his stomach and pressed his cock into the sheets, feeling the cum pulsate out of him while he bit down on the pillow, all with pictures of Justin flashing before his eyes. 

Minutes later, Brian leaned his head against the tiled shower wall and wrapped his hand around his cock, groaning when he felt how hard he was. He stroked himself slowly and rubbed over his nipples with his other hand, biting his bottom lip when he pinched the hard nubs. Pushing his hips up, he fucked his own hand, using the soap as lube. Brian inhaled deeply and remembered the smell of his soap on Justin’s skin just weeks earlier. Speeding up, he grunted loudly when he shot his load hard. 

Brian left the bathroom and went over to the window, staring out at the snowy mountains. He’d done it. He’d crossed the line the other night at Babylon, and to his surprise, he felt it was the best decision he’d made in a long time.


	10. Chapter 10

Brian waited for Justin outside the diner. Reaching into the glove compartment of his car, he grabbed the flyer he’d been keeping in it and winced at the bad quality of the paper, not to mention the pictures that looked as if they’d been cut out of a magazine and pasted on. 

“Hi!” Justin briskly walked up to him. 

“Hi, yourself.” 

Justin wrapped his arm around Brian’s waist after they looked at each other for a second. “Come on. Let’s go inside.” 

“Michael’s mother works here,” Brian mumbled, taking a step away from him. 

“Sorry, I didn’t know.” 

Brian turned his head in time to see the expression on Justin’s face. He tucked a strand of hair behind Justin’s ear and leaned into him. “You look hot.” 

“You, too.” Justin held the door open and smiled widely as he strolled into the diner behind Brian, nodding when they found an empty booth and Lorraine offered coffee. “So, what did you need help with?” he asked as she walked away. 

“This.” Brian dropped the flyer on the table and straightened it out.

Justin squinted, trying to make out what it said. “The red ape? What’s that?”

“Nothing, as far as I know. See this?” Brian pointed to something that looked like a string stretching across the page. “It’s a C.” 

Justin studied it from another angle. “Oh! Did Michael make this himself?”

“With a little help from his professor.” 

“And now he’s asked you for help creating a new one?”

“No.” 

“So you’ll make it for him anyway?”

“That’s the idea.” 

“You’re so fucking kind.” Justin finally broke down laughing after Brain glared at him in silence. “What are you planning to do with it?”

“Clear it up, for starters.” 

Justin took his sketchpad and a couple pens out of his bag. “Mind if I give it a try?”

“Go ahead. I can’t draw for shit.” Brian stood up to refill their cups. 

Justin moved over about an inch when Brian came back and sat down so they wouldn’t be pressed against each other too closely. He wrote the store’s name in big bold letters and added its address and hours of operation at the bottom of the page. “Okay, that’s the important stuff. What now?”

“Do you have any colored pens?” 

“Sure. Tell me what you want on it.” 

Brian had obviously thought it through, even though he tried his best to act like he didn’t really care. Justin was ready to draw superheroes, but he ended up making a clean layout with small but important nods to the comic book world. 

“You’re good!” 

Brian raised an eyebrow at Justin. 

“Not that it’s surprising or anything. You _are_ Pittsburgh’s leading ad exec, after all.”

“Happy to see you’re caught up with what’s important.” Brian moved the sheet of paper closer to himself. “I should hire you on the spot. You pay more attention than my whole art department combined.”

“I’m not up for hire, but thanks anyway!”

Debbie tied her apron on and listened to Lorraine’s report on the customers in the diner. She checked the orders and put another pot of coffee on while she chatted with the guys at the counter. 

“Deb!” 

Her head snapped up when she heard Brian’s familiar voice. “I’ll be right with you, honey!” Waiting impatiently for the coffee maker, she snagged the pot as soon as the water stopped dripping. “Want a refill?”

“Yeah, and keep it coming.”

Debbie sat down in the booth across from them, focusing on Justin. “I haven’t seen you here before, and believe me, I’d remember such a pretty face.”

“Stop it, Deb.”

“He’s fucking adorable,” she cackled. 

Justin gave her a blinding smile. “I’m also starving. I can’t live on air and caffeine alone like Brian can.”

“He’s always been a picky eater.”

“He told me he grew up with you and Michael and your brother.” 

“You know Michael?”

“We’ve met.”

“Are you one of Brian’s clients?”

Justin looked at Brian, who’d turned his attention back to their papers again. “Sort of.”

“Then I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Hey,” Brian called Debbie back. “He needs food.”

“Shit! Sorry.” 

“A burger, fries, and a Coke,” Justin ordered. “Oh, and a lemon bar.” He saw Brian staring at him. “What?”

“Nothing. You’re young. You’re still growing. I get it.” 

“Shut up.” 

Watching them, Debbie decided Justin probably wasn’t a client from the way he and Brian were talking to each other. When she came back with the food, she saw Brian’s arm slung over the back of the seat and his fingertips absently drawing patterns on Justin’s arm. She also watched Brian laugh and shake his head when Justin pointed something out to him. Debbie studied them for a second before she interrupted. “I don’t want to get grease on your papers, boys.”

Brian hurried to stack them into a heap while Justin took care of the plates. 

“If you need anything else, just let me know.” 

Justin bit into a fry as Debbie moved on to the next booth. “She seems nice.”

“She’s the closest thing to a mother I’ll ever have. I’d be a hell of a lot more fucked up if it weren’t for her.” 

Justin waited for Brian to continue, but he’d gone back to studying the drawing, pointing out what needed to be changed to make it perfect. When they decided it was as good as it was going to get, Brian carefully placed it in his briefcase and stood up. 

“I need to get back.”

“I’ll come with you.” Justin finished his burger and looked around for his lemon bar. “I didn’t eat it, did I?”

Brian ignored him and put his jacket on. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah, but I want my lemon bar.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Brian stomped up to the counter and ordered a bag of lemon bars to go. 

“Here, honey.” Debbie handed the bag to Justin. “Make sure to keep them out of his reach this time.”

“You ate it?!” 

Brian turned and walked away from them.

Justin caught up with him seconds later, only to be dragged into the alley between the buildings. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll be sleeping at the loft Friday night.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I’ve got an early meeting on Saturday.”

Justin licked over Brian’s sticky lips. “Mmm, lemon,” he purred.

Brian sighed and ran his hands down Justin’s back. “Just be there, okay?” 

“I’ll see what I can do.”

\---------- 

Justin knocked on Marcus’s door, slightly out of breath after running up the stairs. “I think you were right.” 

“About Brian?”

“Yes.” 

“Way to go, baby!” 

“He bought me these.” Justin opened the bag of lemon bars and showed Marcus. “Want one?”

“Can we eat them while we walk to the gallery? I want to look at the space they’re giving me for the exhibit.” It was Marcus’s first really big show, and he’d been working day and night since the gallery owner had contacted him about it a couple of months earlier. 

“Is Emmett still throwing you a party the night of the opening?” 

“I convinced him to settle for a small gathering with my family and a few friends. He’s still gone into party planning mode, though, sending me texts every other hour with new ideas.”

“You’re lucky to have him.” 

Marcus squeezed Justin’s hand. “I’m lucky to have both of you.”

\----------

“What's this?” Mikey took the box Brian handed him.

“Only one way to find out,” Brian drawled. He picked up a comic and flipped through it while he waited for Michael to make his way into the box.

“Brian!” Michael stared at the flyers. 

“These might help you draw some well deserved attention to your shop.”

“This is too much!”

“If you don’t like them . . .”

“I love them! They look so much better than what Ben and I had put together.”

“Let me know when you need more.”

“I want to pay for them.”

“No, you don’t.”

Michael pulled Brian in for a hug. “Thank you.” He let go and looked at the flyers again. “You’re so talented.”

“Justin did most of it.” 

“I didn’t know he’s working for you.”

“He’s not.”

“Okay, make sure to thank him for me.”

Brian put his sunglasses on and left. 

Michael tripped over his words when he managed to get both Ted and Emmett on the phone together to tell them what Brian had said about Justin. 

Em shrieked in excitement, ordering that the conversation repeat everything they knew about the hottest couple in Pittsburgh, as he referred to them. 

“Is it possible they’re just friends?” 

“Shush, Teddy. Don’t ruin it for me.”

\----------

Brian jumped when he heard the buzzer. Occupied with reading contracts, he’d lost track of time, but he walked over to the panel and let who he hoped was Justin into the building. Then he slid his door open, lighting a cigarette while he waited for the elevator to make its way up to his floor. 

Justin’s hands were full of grocery bags, which he dropped when Brian tackled him up against the wall. He huffed out a laugh that turned into a moan as Brian forced his tongue down his throat. “I take it you’re not too upset that I’m late?”

“I might have to punish you if it happens again.” Brian held the cigarette to Justin’s lips, offering him a drag before he put it out. Then he turned Justin around and pressed him into his chest, kissing his cheek while his fingers slipped under the hem of his sweater and stroked the smooth skin on his stomach and hip bone. 

Justin stood perfectly still, leaving the decisions up to Brian. Trying to control his breathing, he let out a gasp when Brian continued down inside the front of his pants and gently tugged at his pubic hair. He turned his head slightly to kiss him as Brian licked his ear. 

“Lift up your arms.” Brian pulled Justin’s sweater up over his head and threw it onto a chair, then he reached around and popped the buttons on Justin’s pants open. Sneaking his hand inside, he didn’t stop until it was closed around the length of Justin’s hard shaft. “Such a horny boy,” he whispered, laughing when Justin’s hips pushed upward to make him move. Stroking him slowly, Brian’s head dropped onto Justin’s shoulder as he felt a bead of precum stick to his skin. “I want to taste you.” 

Justin tried his best not to come just from watching Brian lick his fingers clean. He wiggled out of his pants and pressed his back against Brian, his knees weakening when he felt Brian’s hard-on through his jeans. Justin pushed his ass rhythmically into Brian’s cock and pictured it sliding inside him when Brian started to jerk him with one hand and pinch his nipples with the other while he kissed him deeply.

“I’m gonna fuck you. I’m gonna fuck you all night,” Brian growled in Justin’s ear.

Groaning loudly, Justin shot his load onto the hardwood floor. Brian held him during his orgasm and then carefully helped him sit down. 

“Uh, thanks.” Justin leaned backward against the kitchen cabinet and tried to regain control of himself. Turning to look at Brian, he felt his dick twitch when he saw that Brian had taken his cock out and was stroking it, his head thrown back and his red lips slightly parted. Justin rose to his knees and placed his hand over Brian’s. “Let me do that for you.”

“Oh, fuck!” Brian gripped the sink as Justin’s mouth closed around the head of his dick. 

Justin pulled back for a second and met Brian’s stare. He smiled when Brian closed his eyes and put his hand on Justin’s head, silently asking him to continue. Licking along the length of Brian’s cock, he’d dreamt about it for so long that he wanted to take his time and make sure Brian enjoyed it. He heard Brian gasp as his tongue lapped over his slit. Doing it again, he was rewarded with a string of precum. God, Brian tasted so great. Justin placed his hands on the back of Brian’s thighs when Brian’s hips began to move, pressing him closer and starting to suck him. 

Brian looked down and saw Justin taking him almost all the way in before going back again. “Justin.” He waited till he peered up at him. “Do it.”

“This?” Opening his mouth widely, Justin worked Brian’s cock all the way inside and buried his nose against his stomach. He swallowed around him over and over again, the head of Brian’s dick bumping into his throat. When he hummed, the vibrations made Brian lose control and he came hard. 

\----------

“We should probably take a shower.” Brian’s voice was harsh. 

“And maybe pick up the groceries you made me drop?”

“Not to mention clean your cum off the floor.”

Justin blushed and stood up. “I’ll take care of it.” He made quick work of it then set the bags of food on the table. “Do you want me to cook something?”

“Maybe later.” Brian peeled himself off the floor and grabbed Justin’s arm, steering him into the bathroom.

Taking turns soaping each other, Justin leaned against Brian’s chest while he washed his hair. Reaching for their cocks, he stroked them together, feeling them slowly fill against each other. Brian’s cock was so heavy and full, Justin couldn’t wait for it to open him up and slide inside him. “I think you need to fuck me now.” Justin looked up at Brian, praying he hadn’t changed his mind. 

“I hope you brought condoms.” Brian turned off the shower and handed Justin a towel, smirking when he saw the panic in his eyes. 

“What? No. I thought you . . . Fuck!”

“Calm down. I’m just messing with you.” Brian took a packet out of the drawer next to his bed and handed one to Justin. “Put it on me.”

Justin did as he was told and found a bottle of lube on the nightstand. Rubbing some on Brian’s dick, he frowned when he noticed his hands were shaking. He lay down on the bed and pulled Brian on top of himself, hooking his legs around Brian’s waist and kissing him deeply. “Go slowly, okay?”

Brian folded his lips in and nodded. He held his dick and nudged it against Justin’s opening, cursing at how tight he was. Ready to explode, Brian took a second to talk himself down from another orgasm before he slid his cock inside of Justin. 

“Christ, you’re huge!” Justin slung his arms over his face and pushed up against Brian.

“Feel good?”

“Yeah.”

“Want me to move?” Brian laughed when Justin hit his arm. He bent down to kiss him and then started to fuck him, amazed at just how great it felt. “I’m not going to last.”

“Neither am I.” Justin jerked his cock fast, yelping when Brian pulled out and slammed into him again. “Do it again. And again.” Feeling a tingle in his spine, Justin drew Brian down for a kiss, sucking on his tongue as he shuddered and came between their bodies.

“Holy fuck!” Brian’s orgasm hit him so hard he thought he’d pass out. He held onto Justin and panted heavily. “That was fucking unbelievable.” Pulling out, he saw Justin flinch. “Did it hurt?” He rubbed over Justin’s hole. “Are you sore?”

“No, but keep that up and I’ll need you to fuck me again real soon.”

“You’re reading my mind, Sunshine.”


	11. Chapter 11

Brian stretched out next to Justin on the bed. “Mikey liked the flyer.” He wiggled his arm under Justin’s head, leisurely tracing the scar above his ear. 

“That’s great.” Justin laid his book down and rolled onto his side, slinging an arm and a leg over Brian. “When I was eighteen, I jerked Chris Hobbs off during detention. He was this really hot jock.”

“Naughty. I fingered a girl at the movies once.” 

“Yuk! Why would you tell me that?”

“I thought we were sharing masturbation stories.” 

“Well, we’re not. I gave him a hand job and he seemed to like it because, you know, he came in his pants. Then he decided he wasn’t gay. Or maybe he was a closet case. I don’t know. Anyway, he bashed my head in with a baseball bat on prom night.” 

Brian’s breathing sped up and his fingers curled around Justin’s shoulder, but he stayed quiet. 

“Daphne, my best friend at the time, called an ambulance and came with me to the hospital. I was in a coma for days, and when I woke up I was a mess. I’d just been accepted to PIFA, but I couldn’t even draw anymore. It took a lot of work and more failures than I like to think about to be able to paint again. My technique will never be the same as it was before it happened, and I miss being able to draw for hours without my hand cramping up. But I shouldn’t complain. It could have ended so much worse.”

“What happened to him?”

“A slap on the wrist and community service at the hospice. I ran into him some time later, and he said he hoped I get AIDS and die.”

“That fucker!” 

“Now you know.” 

Brian rolled both of them over, landing on top. “Was this before or after your parents threw you out?”

“After. I went back to live with my mom for awhile because they’d gotten a divorce by then, but it didn’t work out. I ended up staying with Daphne until I could afford my own place.” 

Brian nudged Justin’s nose with his own and then kissed him deeply.

“What about your parents?”

“My dad was an abusive alcoholic, and my mom’s a frigid bitch.” 

“How lovely.”

“Do you still talk to your mom?”

“Sure. We see each other as often as possible, although she’s busy keeping up with her much younger boyfriend and my sister, Molly. Do you have any siblings?”

“A sister who only pops up when she needs money.”

Justin kissed the top of Brian’s head. “Do you want me to stay?” He huffed out a laugh when Brian moved over and lit a smoke. “No?”

“Not my decision to make.” 

“If I stay, I need food.” 

“You know the way to the kitchen.” Brian fell back against the pillows and pulled the sheet around himself when Justin got out of bed. He’d lost count of his orgasms a couple of hours earlier, but still, the idea of fucking Justin over the kitchen counter made his dick twitch. 

“Do you want anything?”

“Your ass on my cock.”

“As much as I’d love that, I’m not sure I can take much more tonight. I’d be happy to fuck you, though.” 

“How about saving that for later? Much later.” Brian wrapped his arms around Justin from behind. “What are you cooking?”

“Just making a turkey sandwich. Want one?”

“Yeah.” Brian sat at his desk and fired up his computer. 

“Do you have to work?”

“I’m gonna finish what I was doing when you interrupted me.” 

Justin set the plate in front of him. “You do remember you asked me to come over, right?” He wiggled himself down onto Brian’s lap. 

“Vaguely.” Brian sighed when Justin nipped at his throat. “What are you doing?”

“Making out with you.”

“Why?”

“Talking about fucking you made me horny.” 

Brian made his way into the sheet surrounding Justin’s body and found his hard dick. “You really are young.” 

“Uh-huh. Wanna take care of it for me?”

“Like this?” Brian started to stroke it while he kissed Justin. His own dick begging for attention, he brought them together and sped up, loving the way they slid against each other. 

Justin’s hips moved towards Brian, and he arched into his touch when Brian licked his nipple. “I want you inside me,” he whispered. Handing him a condom, Justin stood up to position his ass over Brian’s dick. 

Brian watched Justin’s face as he worked his cock inside of him. “So fucking hot.” He was forced all the way in to the hilt when Justin slammed down on his dick. “Oh, God!”

Justin gripped the back of the chair and fucked Brian hard and fast. Minutes later, it was over and he slumped down onto Brian’s shoulder. “That was amazing.” 

“Yeah, not bad.” Brian’s leg shook when he stood up and carried Justin to the sofa. “I’m never going to finish those contracts, am I?”

“Not likely.” 

After they’d slept for an hour, Justin pulled himself together and ate his sandwich. He sighed happily as he crawled under the covers on Brian’s bed, realizing that Brian had changed the sheets while he was in the shower. Watching Brian work on his computer again, Justin thought he should try to remember everything to tell Marcus in the morning. 

\----------

Justin stirred when Brian kissed his face. 

“I need to go.” 

“Oh, hold on.” Justin hurried out of bed and started to get dressed. 

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“You’re leaving.”

“Yes. Why are you?”

“I thought you wanted me out of here.” 

“Did I say that?” Brian handed Justin a key to his loft. “Don’t forget to lock the door and set the alarm. I left instructions on the kitchen table.” He kissed him again. “Later.” 

Justin sat on the bed, his head still a little dizzy after rushing around first thing in the morning. He smiled when he thought about the sex marathon he’d had with Brian the day before, even though his body ached. He knew he shouldn’t start making plans after just one night, but Christ, they’d make a great couple. 

The vibrating phone in his pocket brought Justin back to reality. “Hi, Marcus.”

“Where are you?”

“At Brian’s place.” 

“Did you do it?”

“Yeah.” Justin held the phone away from his ear when the high pitched noise coming from Marcus threatened to deafen him.

“You need to tell me everything!” 

“Where are you?”

“In my studio.” 

“Want me to bring you breakfast?”

“Please.”

\----------

Marcus burst out laughing when he saw Justin’s flushed cheeks and glittering eyes. “So, you’re thoroughly fucked.”

“Stop it.” 

“How was it?”

“Mind blowing.”

“Mind blowing? You know I need more details than that.”

Justin told Marcus as much as he felt he could share while he unpacked the cream cheese bagels and coffee he’d bought at the store around the corner from the studio. “I’m not sure I want to be that person, though.” 

Marcus looked up from the block of stone he was pushing across the floor. “What person?”

“The one who breaks up a marriage.” 

“You’re not. He is.” 

“Okay, but do I want to be with someone who’s cheating on his wife?”

“Yes, you do! Stop overthinking everything and help me move this damn thing.” Marcus glanced at Justin, who was smiling widely. He hoped Brian wouldn’t fuck up and break his heart.

\----------

“What about him?” Emmett pointed to a guy who’d walked past them too many times for it to be a coincidence. “He’s got a great body.”

“Yeah, not too bad.” 

Brian snorted as Justin rolled his eyes at him. 

“Sweetie, you’re not even looking.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” Justin had to swallow a moan while Brian casually dragged his fingers across his dick under the table.

“Have you had him?”

“Huh?” 

Marcus smirked when he saw Justin’s eyes glaze over. He stood and held his hand out toward Emmett. “Dance with me.” 

“You need to stop that,” Justin whispered to Brian. 

Brian massaged the head of Justin’s dick. “Why?”

“It’s too good.” 

“Do you need me to take you home and fuck you silly?”

“You already did that twice before we came here.” 

Brian wound his arm around Justin’s chair and brushed his hand through Justin’s hair. “Wanna dance?”

“Are you gonna let me rub up against you?”

“That can be arranged.” 

“Hey!” Michael made his way over to their table. “What are you doing here?”

Brian took a swig of his beer. “Having a night out?”

“Is Lindsay here?”

“No.” 

“Oh, so it’s just us guys then.” Michael turned to Justin. “Did Brian tell you how much I appreciated the flyers?”

“Yes. I’m happy you liked them.” Justin nodded when Ben asked if he and Michael could join them. 

Minutes later, Brian stood up and put his leather jacket on. 

“Are you leaving already?” Michael asked. 

“I’ve got work in the morning.” Brian finished his beer and walked out. 

Ben and Michael tried to engage Justin in a conversation. After a while, he seemed to relax and told them about his upcoming show. 

“Maybe we could check it out?”

“Sure. I’d love it if you stopped by.” 

Emmett flopped down on the empty chair. “Jesus, it’s hot out there tonight. I need water.” He batted his eyelashes at Marcus. “Could you please get me a bottle before you leave?”

Justin waited for Marcus to come back with Emmett’s water and asked him if he wanted company walking home. 

“I’d love it!” Marcus kissed Emmett and waved good-bye to Ben and Mikey. “Did Brian leave?”

“Yep. Hold on. My phone’s vibrating. Hey.”

“Where are you?”

“On my way home.” 

Brian was quiet for a second. “Alone?”

“With Marcus.” 

“I expect you to be here first thing in the morning.” 

“Yes, sir,” Justin said before he hung up. 

“Could you two be any more adorable?” Marcus laughed when Justin blushed. 

“Shut up. I’m happy.” 

\----------

“I have to fire my art department,” Brian announced, handing Justin a cup of coffee when he walked into the loft the next day. 

“Again?”

“Yeah.” Brian shook his head, sitting at his desk. “Would you look at this?”

Justin leaned over his shoulder and frowned at the screen. “That’s not bad. Just change the color and the font.”

“I know, but why can’t they see it? I shouldn’t have to take care of details like this.” 

“Poor you.” Justin yelped as Brian swatted at him. “I need to work. Don’t disturb me unless you have a real problem.” He sat down to answer e-mails on his laptop. 

Hours later, Brian walked over to Justin and wrapped his arms around him. “Want me to heat up some food?”

“I’ll help you.” Justin set two plates on the table as Brian took the food containers out of the fridge. “Have you decided to keep your art department for another week?”

“I guess they can stay.” 

“That’s very thoughtful of you.” 

Brian lit a cigarette and drew Justin close to his chest while they watched their food in the microwave. 

\----------

Brian twirled a strand of Justin’s hair between his fingers and waited for him to wake up, something he’d found himself doing at least once a week for much too long now. Seeing Justin’s eyes flutter open, Brian knew it was time to put an end to it when Justin smiled at him and went back to sleep. But what harm could one more fuck do? He leaned closer and kissed Justin’s slightly parted lips. 

“Good morning,” Justin murmured, pulling at Brian’s arms so he’d lie on top of him. “Mmm, someone’s horny.” Sneaking a hand between their bodies, he fondled Brian’s hard-on. “You’re gonna have to fuck me. Like right now.” 

“Exactly what I was thinking.” Brian sat up and reached for a condom and the lube. “Make yourself ready for me.” Few things were hotter than watching Justin open himself up to prepare for his cock. Brian felt it twitch against his palm as he stroked it, following Justin’s every move. 

“Wanna come with me to the opening of Marcus’s exhibit?” Justin was still panting after giving Brian a spectacular blow job as a finish to their morning fuck.

“No.” 

Justin turned to look at Brian. “Something wrong?”

“Don’t get the impression that we’re partners because we’re not. We’re not anything.” 

“Okay.” Justin sat up. “I guess it’s time for me to go.” Wandering around the loft, he found his clothes scattered all over the floor and dressed while Brian watched. Justin squared his shoulders, shoving his laptop, sketchpad, and pens into his bag. When he reached the door, Brian walked up to him. “What now?” He turned his face away as Brian bent down to kiss him. “I know I told you I can tell the difference between love and a fuck, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like shit.” 

“Who says I am?”

“You’re not?”

“Look, I have some things I need to figure out.” 

“You don’t say.” 

“Listen, Justin. Are you listening?” 

“Go ahead.” 

“Lindsay . . . she deserves more than this.”

“Okay.” Justin slid the door open.

“Would you stop trying to leave?” 

“Why should I stay? Apparently, there’s nothing left for me here.” 

Brian leaned his forehead down on Justin’s. “I need some time to talk to Lindsay. To figure out what to do with the house.” He rolled his lips in. “What to do with Gus.” 

“What?”

“I’m leaving her.” 

“Why?”

“Why do you think?” Brian pressed Justin up against the wall and kissed him hard. 

“So I should wait for you?”

“That would be preferable.” 

“You could have just asked.” 

“What’s the fun in that?”


	12. Chapter 12

Justin sat facing Marcus and Emmett, listening to their plans of moving in together. He still didn’t understand why they wanted to live in Marcus’s tiny apartment instead of Emmett’s more luxurious one, but apparently they didn’t mind the close space and thought it was too cozy to give up. “Have you set a date?”

“We have!” Emmett beamed at Justin. “I’ll be moving my things over two months from today, and we’re going to have a housewarming the very next day. You’re the guest of honor, of course, so I made sure to set a date that was open on your calendar.”

“I’m so happy for you.” Justin watched his best friend blush while Emmett wrapped him in his arms and peppered his face with kisses. 

“Stop it.” Marcus turned to Justin as he fought off another attack from Em. “Are you ready for the exhibit?” 

“Yes. I still don’t have all the information about the opening, though.” 

Emmett sat straight up, a mortified look on his face. “Oh, my God! I’m sorry. I swear, I’m the worst agent right now. I’m so caught up in . . . ”

“In what? Are you working with someone new?” 

“No. Well, yes, but I promised not to say anything.” 

“Is it an artist?” 

“Are you trying to get someone into an exclusive show?” Marcus asked.

“No. This is something entirely new. Kind of.” Emmett waved his arms. “Stop asking questions! I really promised not to tell.” 

Debbie came over to the table and laid the tab between their plates. “I expect you boys to be at Sunday dinner tomorrow night.” 

Emmett clapped his hands. “We’d love to, Deb.” 

“You too, Justin.” 

“I didn’t know you knew her,” Marcus said after she walked away. 

“I don’t. I only met her once before when I had lunch with Brian.” Justin put some money on the table and stood up. “Can I ride with you two on Sunday?”

“Sure!” Marcus hugged him. “See you then.” 

\----------

Marcus followed Emmett’s directions to Debbie's and parked on the street in front of her house. He jerked when he noticed a car in the driveway. “Justin, is that Brian’s Jeep?”

“Yep.” 

“Did you know he was going to be here?”

“No.” 

Marcus waited until Emmett got out then turned to Justin again. “If you want to leave, that’s totally fine by me.” 

“No need to.”

Marcus had a feeling Justin wasn’t as calm as he seemed but decided to let it go. 

“Have you told anyone about Brian and me?”

“No! I don’t like keeping secrets from my man, but it’s you, so I’m making an exception. The others might have their suspicions and they love to gossip, but I don’t think they’ve figured out just how close you two really are.”

“Do you think I’m crazy for waiting for him?” 

“You believe in love. That’s one of your better qualities.” 

Brian wandered from room to room, noticing that little had changed in Deb’s house since he was last there. He passed her beloved collection of cheap figurines and remembered how upset she’d been when one of them broke. Then he heard Lindsay’s excited voice as she talked with Ben about his work. It made Brian think of the way she was when they’d met in school and became friends. Before they got married. Before they bought the fucking mansion and began to slowly destroy each other. 

“Marcus, Emmett, and Justin should be here soon,” Deb said as she walked by Brian. 

“Justin’s coming?” Brian ducked his head when Michael grinned at him. 

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing. Just surprised he’s a part of your little gang.” 

“You know Ma. Always ready to add more people to her family. Oh, here they are now!”

“Hi, sweetie,” Deb said to no one in particular, handing out plates. “Food’s ready in the kitchen. Find yourself a chair or sofa or staircase.”

Michael introduced his children to Marcus and Justin. “This is Hunter and this is JR.” 

Hunter waved, his eyes never leaving his phone. JR looked at them while she held onto her dad’s hand. 

Justin walked up to Brian. “Is your head about to explode, or does it just seem that way?”

“It’s safe to assume it’ll happen in the next five to ten minutes.” 

“For the record, I didn’t know you were gonna be here.” Justin took a quick step to the side when Hunter pushed Emmett out of the way to get to the food first. He looked around to see if anyone else was coming at him.

“What are you doing.”

“Just making sure I don’t get trampled.” 

Brian laughed and steered Justin into the kitchen from behind, both of his hands on Justin’s shoulders.

“I saved you a seat, honey,” Lindsay said. 

JR plopped down on the empty chair, not realizing it wasn’t for her. “Grandma, Hunter is mean.” 

“He’s a boy. They really have no way of knowing how to behave.” Debbie winked at Hunter, who stuck his tongue out at her. 

Brian took the opportunity to sneak out and made his way over to the staircase, where Justin had set up camp. “How did you get caught up in this?”

“Deb sidetracked me when I had lunch with Marcus and Emmett at the diner. What about you?”

“She and Michael both pleaded with me, so I thought I’d grace them with my presence to get them to stop.” 

“Christ, this is hot!” Justin grabbed Brian’s water bottle and gulped most of it down. “My tongue is fucking numb.” He took another swig of water. 

“Need more?”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Justin handed the bottle back to Brian and stirred the food on his plate. 

“Do you have your drawings ready for the show?”

“I finished up the last one two days ago. They’re all a bit dark, but I’m happy with how they turned out. Wanna see them?” Justin took his phone out of his pocket and searched through the pictures. “Here.”

Brian laid his fork down and studied them. “You’re so fucking talented. Who’s the guy in the shadows in the last one?”

“Chris Hobbs.” 

Brian pressed his thigh into Justin’s in an attempt to comfort him.

“I don’t know why. It just came over me one day after I’d been painting for too long and my hand cramped up. I think I needed to get him out of my head and into my work.”

“He doesn’t deserve to be in there,” Brian muttered.

“There’s cake for dessert!” Deb shouted. 

“I’m so full.” Brian stretched as they walked back into the kitchen.

“There’s always room for dessert,” Justin said cheerfully, cutting a big piece of the cake. He shot Brian a glare when he snorted. 

Deb saw the looks they gave each other. And how oblivious Lindsay seemed. “Justin, are you dating anyone?”

“No.” He licked some chocolate off his thumb, hearing Brian curse under his breath. 

“Why not?” 

“Don’t feel like it.”

“But there has to be someone you’re interested in?”

“Really? Because I don’t know of anyone.” 

“Enough with the third degree, Deb. Not everyone wants a breeder lifestyle.” 

“Thanks,” Justin mumbled to Brian, going off towards the staircase again.

Brian strolled after him. “She can be a bit too much.” 

“I noticed.” Justin dug into the delicious-looking cake. “This is good!” He finished his dessert while they sat in silence, then he looked at Brian’s plate. “Are you gonna eat that cake or just play with it with your spoon?”

Brian handed his dish over and took Justin’s empty one. 

“There is someone.” 

“I know.” Brian ran his hand down Justin’s back and stood up. “I’m going out for a smoke.” 

“I’ll come with you!” Michael pulled his jacket on. “Remember how we used to sneak out to smoke?”

“Yeah.” 

“Mom almost caught us so many times.”

Marcus walked up to Justin. “Emmett needs to get back pretty soon.” 

“I’m ready to leave right away.” Justin brought his dish into the kitchen when Marcus did, both of them thanking Deb for the invitation to dinner. Forcing himself to smile at Lindsay as she waved good-bye to him, his guilt almost knocked him over. Marcus’s hand on his shoulder enabled Justin to pull himself together enough to leave. 

“Are you okay?” Marcus whispered once they were outside. 

“I can’t stand myself when I’m around her. She’s so fucking nice to me.”

“I know this wasn’t a decision you made easily.”

“You do?”

“I’ve known you for years. You never do anything without thinking it over.”

“I sound boring.”

“You’re anything but. Now that you’ve made the decision, there’s no turning back, is there? Even if she ends up hating you, you’ll still be happy with Brian.”

“Need I remind you that he doesn’t do love?” 

“Oh, please. He’s so in love with you it’s nauseating.”

Brian hugged Michael, ushering him back inside and taking the opportunity to talk to Emmett alone. “I got your email.”

“Did you like my idea?”

“Yeah. I’ll set up a meeting with Frederic first thing tomorrow.” 

“Oh, yay! He was ecstatic at the thought of making a permanent display of your collection.” 

“Keep it down, will you?” 

“Sorry.”

“Thanks for taking care of it for me.”

“No problem! Let me know if there’s anything else you need. Maybe it’s time to add a couple of sculptures to the collection now that it’ll be out of your house?” Emmett hurried away when Brian frowned at him. 

Brian leaned against the wall, watching the guys get into Marcus’s car. His stare was fixated on Justin’s back, but he looked away when Justin turned towards him.

Justin said something to the others, then he walked up to Brian and nodded when Brian offered him a drag on his cigarette.

“I love watching you suck on things.” 

“Cheesy.” 

Brian traced Justin’s lips with his thumb. “Later.” 

“Later.” 

\----------

“Justin’s cute,” JR said with a giggle. 

“He sure is, honey. He’ll make some man happy one day.” Deb turned and looked at Brian.

He met her stare, deliberately not reacting. She still thought she had him all figured out, but she had no idea what kind of man he’d become. Brian sighed. Or maybe she did.

“Honey, it’s time for us to pick up Gus.” 

Brian handed Lindsay her coat and then bent down to hug Debbie. 

She wrapped her arms around him lovingly. “Remember what you promised me when we first met again at the diner?”

Brian nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

\----------

“This was so much fun!” Lindsay said. “I love meeting people who knew you when you were young.” 

“I’m not fucking old.” 

Lindsay rolled her eyes at him. “Debbie said we’re welcome whenever we feel like it. Do you want to come back next Sunday with Gus?” 

“No.” 

Glancing at her husband’s tight jaw and eyes staring straight ahead, Lindsay hesitated to ask her next question. She knew deep inside she didn’t want to hear the answer. “So what do you want?”

Brian closed his eyes for a second. “A divorce.” 

Lindsay slumped forward, quietly starting to cry. She grabbed Brian’s hand when he gently touched her arm. “Why?”

“Are you happy?”

“Of course!”

“No, think about it. Are you happy?”

“I was. I was so happy when we moved into the house and Gus was born. But lately, I’ve been feeling like we’re drifting apart.” 

“That’s because we are.” 

“I’ve tried to figure out how to fix it, but . . .” She took a shaky breath. “I couldn’t think of a way.”

“Lindsay, don’t. Don’t blame yourself.” 

“Is there another woman?” Her voice trembled. 

“No other woman.” Brian knew he’d have to tell her about Justin at some point, but he didn’t see any reason to do it right then. 

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Lindsay started to sob again. “Gus will be devastated.” 

“We’ll talk to him tomorrow after school.” 

“There’s so much to take care of. Our home, Brian. What’ll happen to our home?”

“You can have the house, although I really think you should move into the city and start working again.” 

“What about you?”

“I’ll be living at the loft.” 

“You’ve really thought this over, haven’t you?” Lindsay blew her nose and dried her tears. “Can you drop me off at home before you get Gus from Amy’s? I need some time to myself.” 

Brian sat beside Gus on his bed and stroked his hair, his heart exploding into a thousand pieces at having to destroy the only life his son had ever known. 

“Where’s Mom?”

“She’s getting your clothes ready for tomorrow. She’ll be here in a couple of minutes.” 

“Okay.” Gus yawned, struggling to keep his eyes open. He smiled sleepily when Lindsay sat on his other side and hugged him. 

Staying long after he’d fallen asleep, Lindsay and Brian were both lost in their thoughts. “I can’t believe you’re ruining our family,” she said when they finally left Gus’s room.

Brian hooked his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly. “What if I’m trying to save what’s left of it?” 

Lindsay sighed deeply and dried her tears again, her eyes red and swollen. “Are you sleeping here tonight?”

“Yes.” Brian walked into his gallery, tracing the paintings’ frames as he passed each one. Stopping in front of Justin’s, he tried to figure out if he would have gone to the gallery opening that day if he’d known what was going to happen. He studied the other paintings and returned to Justin’s once again. Staring at it, he lit a cigarette, not noticing when Lindsay came in. 

“What about your paintings?”

“I’m having them moved into a gallery downtown.” 

“Which gallery?”

“Frederic’s.”

“That’s where you bought the one with the red frame. The one that changed everything in here.” 

Brian glanced at Lindsay, on the verge of revealing just how much had changed that night. “I’ll sleep in one of the guest rooms.” 

“I figured you would.”

\---------- 

“Daddy’s home!” Gus ran over to the door and threw himself into Brian’s arms. 

Brian hung up his coat and took Gus’s hand, walking into the kitchen. 

Lindsay had made dinner and set the table, candles burning in the center of it. She’d obviously been crying but made an effort to act normally. “Hi.” She turned to Brian. “Are you eating with us?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” 

Gus looked at his parents. “You’re acting weird.” 

Brian pulled out a chair. “Sit down, Gus.” 

“I didn’t do anything.” 

“You’re right, you didn’t.” 

“Oh, okay.” 

“We’re getting a divorce.” 

Gus’s head snapped up. “Why?”

“We think we’ll be a much happier family if we don’t live together,” Lindsay said. 

“But I’m already happy.” 

“And we want to make sure it stays that way.” 

“Are we moving?”

“Daddy will live at the loft.” 

“What about you?”

“I’m staying right here. You’ll still have your room here and your toys. You can still see Amy every day, and you won’t have to change schools.” 

“But what if I want to stay at the loft with Dad?”

“Then that’s where you’ll stay.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Lindsay hugged Gus tightly, feeling his heart beating fast against hers. “It’s okay to cry, you know.”

Brian crouched down and enveloped both of them in his arms. “It’ll be fine.” 

“Do you promise?” Gus wiped his nose on Brian’s sleeve. 

“I promise.” 

“I don’t have a bed at the loft.” 

“We’ll buy you one.” 

“Mom will be here alone when I stay with you.”

“I’ll be perfectly fine on my own. Your dad will be, too, when you’re here.” 

“Listen to me, Gus. Are you listening?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Don’t ever think about us when you’re deciding where to stay. We’re grown-ups. We can handle this. No guilty conscience and no worries that one of us will be sad and lonely.” 

“Okay.” 

“Are you ready to eat something?”

“Yes.” 

Lindsay forced herself to not just pick at her food, making sure Gus saw that she was fine. She caught Brian staring at her and smiled at him. She could break down later when she was alone in bed, but not now. Not in front of Gus. 

Gus laid his fork down and turned to her. “What about my birthday?”

“What about it?”

“You always wake me up together. There are gifts and cake, and you sing and Dad takes pictures.” 

“That won’t change. We’ll both be there. Maybe Dad will even sing this year.” 

“Not likely to happen.” Brian glared at them. “We’ll be there, but don’t expect miracles.” 

Lindsay winked at Gus. “We’ll see.” 

Brian helped Gus with his homework and stayed with him until he fell asleep, then he went searching for Lindsay. He found her sobbing silently while she did the dishes. “Don’t cry.” 

“At least let me be sad that you’re divorcing me!”

“I’ll pick Gus up after school tomorrow. If he still wants to spend the night with me, we’ll come back here to pack his bag.” 

“Fine.” 

Brian hugged her from behind. “Bye, Wendy.”

Lindsay turned in his arms. “You haven’t called me that in years.” 

“I know.” 

“I’ve missed it. I’ve missed being your best friend.” 

He squeezed her hands. “I’ve missed it, too.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Two Months Later**

“Oh, my God! You bought us the glasses of my dreams? Look, honey!” Emmett handed the box to Marcus and drew Justin in for a hug. “Thank you so much! I can’t believe you remembered I mentioned them to you.”

“You took me to the store and made me take a picture of them just days ago.”

“Oh, shush.” Emmett let go of Justin and turned to their other guests. “Food is served in the kitchen, everyone.” 

Justin got in line for the buffet when Marcus wanted to talk to him. “What’s up?” 

“Em’s been working with Brian for a while, and he invited him tonight.”

“He’s been working with Brian?”

“I just found out. That’s why I haven’t told you yet. Brian moved his art collection into town.” 

Justin couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face. “He did?” 

“It’ll be a permanent exhibition in Frederic’s gallery.”

“Have you seen it?”

Marcus looked mortified. “Not without you! You’re the guy I go to gallery shows with. You know that. Anyway, I just wanted to prepare you in case he shows up tonight.”

Justin leaned backward against the wall as he finished his food, chatting with a guy he knew through Marcus. His thoughts kept wandering to Brian and what it might mean if he did join them. 

“Wanna dance?”

“Sure.” Justin turned up the volume on the stereo and found them an empty spot in the crowded living room. 

They’d danced to a couple of songs when the guy’s lips pressed against Justin’s ear. “Don’t look now, but this super hot man is checking you out.”

“Let me guess: tall, dark, and sexy?” 

“Yes! Is he yours?”

“Unfortunately not.” 

“Judging from the glare he’s shooting me, I’d say he’s crazy for you. He’s coming over!”

Justin grinned when strong arms encircled him from behind and he felt Brian's scruffy chin brushing against his cheek. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." 

“What are you doing here?”

“Celebrating the happy couple,” Brian drawled. 

Justin turned in his arms. “You don’t think they should have moved in together?” He motioned for Brian to follow him away from the others.

“I think this apartment is too small for two people to live in. They’ll get on each other’s nerves before the week is over.”

“Ever the romantic.” Justin took two glasses from the drink table and handed one to Brian. “I heard you’ve found a place to show your collection.”

“I have.” Brian knocked back the drink. “I also moved out the day after that dinner at Deb’s.” He slid his fingers behind Justin’s neck and kissed his forehead. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“What about Gus?”

“He's slowly getting used to it. We're letting him decide where he wants to sleep, although the plan is for Lindsay and I to each have him every other week. So far, he's enjoying the power he has. He made friends with the cat lady.”

“Those kittens were adorable!”

“One of them got into the loft last week and turned my kitchen floor into a litter box.”

“Poor thing must have been all disoriented.”

“You really don’t have any control over your priorities, do you?” Brian nuzzled his nose into Justin’s hair. “I saw you dancing.” 

“Any chance you'll join me?"

"Why don't you lead the way?"

Justin took two steps to the left, ending up in front of the speakers. "Here we are." 

Brian placed his hand on the small of Justin's back and pulled him closer. "Here we are." Kissing him lightly on the lips, he ignored the whistles and catcalls coming from Marcus and Emmett and drawing everyone's attention to them as they swayed to the music. 

**EPILOGUE**

Gus waved and ran toward Brian’s car, parked in front of his school. “What are you doing here? Where’s Mom?”

“She has a job interview and asked me to pick you up.”

“A job interview? At that gallery where she loved working before she had me?”

“No, at a school as an art teacher.”

“Mom’s gonna be a teacher?” Gus thought about it for awhile, not really seeing his mom as one of the boring old ladies at his school. “She’s prettier than Mrs. Evans.”

Brian laughed and agreed with him. “Justin’s cooking dinner for us.”

“Yay! I like his food.” 

Brian ruffled Gus’s hair. He hadn’t planned for Justin and Gus to meet, but Justin had swung by the loft one evening when Gus was there. Playing with his Game Boy, Gus had bonded with Justin over a hunt for trolls and sharks, telling him he could come over anytime he wanted since he was so much better to play with than his dad was. Brian pulled away from Gus’s school, thinking about all the other times his son had spent with Justin and how they’d slowly become friends during the countless hours they'd gone through Gus’s collection of video games together. 

Gus looked over at Brian. “Are you working on another project with Justin?” 

Brian lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out the car window. “No, he just offered to cook for us.”

“Am I sleeping at the loft tonight?”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes.”

Brian handed his phone to Gus and told him to send his mother a message to let her know she didn’t have to pick him up until the next morning.

\---------- 

Gus put his homework aside and got comfy down on the floor, burying his nose in his favorite comic just as Brian looked up from his computer. 

“Are you finished reading your book for school tomorrow?” 

“Uh-huh. I read all ten pages.” Gus rolled onto his back, losing himself in his superhero world again. 

Brian heard a soft laugh coming from the kitchen and walked over to Justin, who was busy chopping vegetables. “What’s so funny?”

“He didn’t read ten pages. More like five, but don’t tell him I said that.” 

“So you’re making me the bad cop? How nice of you.” Brian let Justin draw him in for a deep kiss, jerking away from him when he heard Gus gasp right next to them. “Shit!” 

“I should go,” Justin said.

“The fuck you will.” Brian gripped Justin’s hand, forcing him to stay. 

“Are you . . .?” Gus struggled to find the words he wanted. 

“Yes.” Brian motioned for his son to sit down at the table.

Gus remained standing. “But you were married to Mom.” 

“I know.” 

“Are you marrying Justin?”

“No.” 

“Why not?”

“I just won’t.” Brian glanced at Justin, who stared down at his feet. 

Gus frowned. “Is he moving in here?”

“Why don’t you ask him?” 

Gus turned to Justin. “Are you?”

Justin took a deep breath then smiled at Gus. “I think it would be a little crowded. But if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay here quite often.”

“I guess.”

Brian steered Gus back over to the sofa. “Now that that’s settled, why don’t you sit down and read the rest of the pages in your book?” 

“How did you know?” Gus pouted, but he did as he was told. 

“I’m a dad. I know things.” 

\---------- 

Justin laid his art magazine down when he heard Gus sniffling and tiptoed over to his bed to check if he was asleep. “Gus?” he whispered.

Gus dried his tears and turned towards the wall. 

“Wanna talk about it?”

“No!”

Justin waited for a minute, but Gus’s tensed up body didn’t move an inch. “I’ll get your dad for you.”

Studying them from the sofa, Brian sighed and stood up. “I had a feeling that was too easy,” he mumbled as he passed Justin. Lying down behind Gus, he hugged him and ignored his plea to be left alone. “I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” 

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you sick?”

Gus shook his head, but he turned to face Brian. “Justin.”

“What about him?”

“He’s gonna be here when I’m not.” 

“Most likely, yeah.” 

“What about Mom? Who’s gonna be with her when I’m not there?”

Brian closed his eyes for a second. “You’re sad because she’ll be alone when you’re here?” 

Gus nodded. 

“We talked about this when we told you about the divorce. Remember?”

“No.” 

Brian sat up and scooped Gus into his lap. “Mom wants you with her, but she also wants you to see me. And being alone isn’t the same thing as being lonely. Mom has friends come over for dinner all the time. She also just texted me that the job came through, so she’ll be very busy.”

Gus grinned at Brian and dried his tears. “Maybe we can celebrate with cake tomorrow? All three of us?”

“I’m sure we can.”

“Does Justin like cake?”

“Have you ever heard him turn down food?”

“He eats a lot!” Gus snuggled into Brian’s chest. “You’re both boys.”

“Got a problem with that?” 

“Nooo.” Gus rolled his eyes at Brian. “But you can’t have children, and I really want a baby brother.”

“How about if we get you that motorcycle you showed Mom at the toy store last week?”

“Really?! It was so cool.”

“Are you ready to go to sleep?”

"Yeah." Gus reached for the toy giraffe that was still allowed into his bed even though he claimed to be over such childish things. 

Brian stayed with him until he drifted off, then he went back out to the living room and found Justin pacing the floor. 

“He doesn’t want me here.”

“Relax. It had nothing to do with you.”

Justin stopped biting the tip of his thumb. “It didn’t?”

“He freaked out about Lindsay being lonely, but I think I’ve got it sorted out. At least for now.” Brian put his arms around Justin’s shoulders and kissed him. “Are you staying?”

“You think that’s a good idea?”

“Can’t think of a better one.” Brian sat down with his papers again, smirking when Justin joined him. 

\-----------

Justin woke early the next morning, ready to crawl on top of Brian when he remembered Gus. Sliding out of bed, he took a shower and went to make breakfast, listening to Gus and Brian wake up and start talking about some toy they were going to buy the next weekend.

“Hi!” Gus smiled up at Justin. “You can’t have kids.”

“Uh, no, I guess not.” Justin stared at Brian, who was fiddling with Gus’s backpack. 

“I’m getting a motorcycle instead. Wanna come with us when we buy it?”

“I’d love to.” Justin watched Gus run into the bathroom. “What was that about?”

“Bribes.”

“Okay.” Justin decided to let it go and set the table. “Food’s ready when you are.” Moments later, he was pressed up against the kitchen wall with Brian’s tongue down his throat. He registered Gus giggling and noticed Brian’s eyes had glazed over. “Let me go.” Fighting to get free, Justin pointed Brian towards an empty chair. “Sit down and eat.”

Gus was surprised that his dad did what he was told. 

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your meeting with Emmett in a half hour?” Brian asked as Justin poured himself another cup of coffee. 

“Crap!” Justin leapt up, then he stopped and looked at Gus. “No, not crap. You didn’t hear that word from me.”

“Mom and Dad say worse words than that, but I’m not allowed to repeat them.”

“Good idea. No repeating.” Justin ran around the apartment collecting his things but ended up in Brian’s arms once again. “I really need to go.”

“And I really need to fuck you,” Brian mumbled. “Meet me here after work?”

“I’ll be here.” Justin waved at Gus and was just about to leave when the door slid open and Lindsay walked in. “Oh, hi, Lindsay.”

“Justin! What are you doing here?”

“I . . . uh . . .we . . .” Justin looked over at Brian helplessly.

“He was just leaving.” Brian sent Gus to brush his teeth and put his shoes on.

“Bye!” Justin threw his bag over his shoulder before he ran out. 

“Brian?” Lindsay questioned him. “Why was Justin here? Did he sleep here last night?”

“Yes, he slept here last night. And the night before that. He’ll probably sleep here again tonight, too.”

“I don’t understand. Did something happen to his apartment?”

“Not that I know of.” 

“Brian, please.” 

“We’re involved.”

“For the art collection?”

“We’re fucking, okay?”

Lindsay looked at Brian in disbelief. “You’re not gay.” 

“Look, Lindsay, things happen.”

“Do you love him?”

“I don’t . . .”

“You don’t do love. Yes, I know that all too well. So why is he here?”

“He’s . . . different.”

“Does Gus know?”

“He didn’t find out until last night.” 

“Please tell me he didn’t see you fucking.”

“Of course he didn’t!”

“Did he say anything?”

“He asked if we were getting married. Which we’re not, by the way.” 

“He’s talked about Justin before. He said you were working on some project together. It didn’t even occur to me that it would be something like this. How long has this been going on?”

“Since we first met at Frederic’s gallery opening.” 

“You cheated on me,” Lindsay said with a heavy heart, but deep down she was happy it wasn’t with another woman. 

“If it’s any comfort, I fought like hell not to . . .” Brian’s voice drifted off. 

“Not to fall for him?”

“Yeah.” 

Lindsay saw how Brian had to struggle to admit it and hugged him tightly. “Thanks for telling me.” 

Brian breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks for not making a big deal out of it.” 

“I guess it’s safe to tell you that someone asked me out the other day. I’m thinking of accepting.” 

“I expect you to fuck around as much as possible.” 

“Mom, I’m gonna be late for school.”

Lindsay took Gus’s arm and hurried out the door. 

\----------

Brian brushed Justin’s sweaty hair from his forehead and kissed it. “That was great.” Lying on top of him, he nibbled at Justin’s red and swollen lips. 

“I love you.” Justin froze when Brian pushed himself up and away from him. “Wait. I didn’t mean it like that.” 

“You didn’t?” Brian cocked an eyebrow at him. 

“No,” Justin said firmly, tugging on Brian’s arms. “Forget it. Lie back down with me.” 

Brian leaned on one elbow and slung his leg across Justin’s thighs. “Do you often tell guys you love them and then take it back?”

“All the time.” 

“Good to know.” Brian stroked Justin’s face and leaned in to kiss him, caressing his skin with his fingertips until Justin mumbled that it felt like it was on fire. Smiling at him, Brian inched between Justin’s legs and licked from his knees up to his chest, making detours to his favorite spots on Justin’s body. “So hot,” he whispered, swirling his tongue around Justin’s nipples and gently biting at them. Switching to Justin’s stomach, Brian traced the muscles that led down to his crotch, turning back up without touching him there. “Just listening to the sounds you make drives me crazy.” 

Brian put a condom on and gently slid inside Justin again. “Feels fucking amazing.” His voice trembling, he buried his face in the crook of Justin’s neck. 

Justin closed his eyes and bit Brian’s shoulder to keep from bursting into flames. It had been years since he’d heard ‘I love you’ from anyone, and no one ever said it as loudly as Brian had.


End file.
